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FRUIT 



FI^OWER, AND KITCHEN 



^tARDeners' companion, 




^ 

^ 



SQ 



THE PRACTICAL 

FRUIT, 

FLOWER AND VEGETABLE 

GAEDENER'S COMPAIIOI, 

WITH A 

CALENDAR. 

BY 

PATRICK NEILL, LL.D., FJR.S.E., 

SECRETARY TO THE ROTAL CALEDONIAN HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 

^irapt^b to tl}e Snltcir Stato. 

FROM THE FOURTH EDITION. 

REVISED AND IMPROVED BY THE AUTHOR. 

EDITED BY 

G. EMERSON, M.D. 

EDITOR OF JOHNSON'S FARMERS' ENCYCLOPEDIA. 



WITH NOTES AND ADDITIONS, 



BY R. G. PARDEE, 

AUTHOR OF " MANUAL OF THE STRAWBERRY CULTURE.' 

WITH ELEGANT ILLUSTRATIONS. 

NEW YORK: 
C. M. S A X T N & CO., 

AGRICULTURAL BOOK PUBLISHERS. 

1855. 



kPVRic 




(A ""y 



^ 



\^ 



6^' 



Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1855, by 

C. M. SAXTON & CO., 

In the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the United States for the 
Southern District of New York. 



JOHN J REED, 
Stereoiyper and Printer, 
16 Spruce street. 



i(^ 



PREFACE 



TO THE 



AMERICAN EDITION. 



The small but very comprehensive work here presented 
to the American public, is the production of one who for 
more than thirty years was secretary of the " Caledonian 
Horticultural Society," and who enjoyed every facility for 
acquiring the very best information relating to the subjects 
upon which he treats. That it has been favorably received 
in England and Scotland, would seem very clear from the 
fact of its having gone to a fourth edition in a very short 
time. The treatise presents, in a condensed form, a sum- 
mary view of the condition of horticultural knowledge in 
Britain, and especially in Scotland, from whence we derive 
the most intelligent and successful gardeners. The superior 
skill of these in the management of plants and the culture 
of many rare kinds of fruit, is doubtless owing in a great 
degree to the extraordinary exertions they have been 
accustomed to put forth to secure success in a climate far 
less genial to fruits and flowers than that of most parts of 
the United States. In endeavoring to adapt this valuable 
manual to the condition of things in the United States, it 
has been thought best to retain all the original matter, 
however apparently irrelevant, since most intelligent per- 



Vlll PREFACE. 

sons can make proper allowances for changes of circum- 
stances, and are interested in knowing how many things 
can be accomplished where greater obstacles to success are 
presented than they themselves are forced to contend 
against. To persons interested in Horticulture and Fruit 
culture, residing in the more northern sections of the Union, 
and especially the British provinces, where considerable 
difficulties are met with from the shortness of summers, and 
rigor of winters, a work containing the latest and best 
information relating to the modes of rendering the natural 
sources of heat as efficient as possible, cannot fail to be 
acceptable. The same may be said of those who in every 
section of our country desire to be able to raise fruits, veg- 
etables, and flowers, under protection, and by the most 
judicious application of artificial heat, bring these to per- 
fection in every month of the year. 

Within a very short time the vine culture has met in 
the United States with extraordinary success, and the pro- 
duction from native grapes of wine rivaling some of the best 
kinds derived from the Rhine and Moselle, has occasioned 
no little surprise, especially among those who entertained 
the prevailing theory that no good wine could be produced 
on the eastern portion of a continent. Mr. Longworth of 
Cincinnati, the chief among many pioneers, by refuting this 
dogma has laid his countrymen under the greatest obliga- 
tions, and added a new resource to the already teeming 
wealth of the American soil. It is the importance which 
we think invests this subject, that has led us to devote such 
particular attention to American grapes and the modes of 
culture adopted successfully in the vicinity of Cincinnati, 
for much of which information we have been indebted to an 
extremely valuable publication made last year by Robert 
Buchanan, Esq., of that city. 



PREFACE. IX 

Any one who has given attention to the subject must 
have been struck with the waste of ground devoted in the 
United States to the culture of fruit of indiflFerent charac- 
ter. As it is obvious that good varieties occupy no more 
space than inferior ones, we have endeavored to aid in their 
choice those who set out orchards or cultivate fruit in 
any manner, by giving them the decisions of the American 
Congress of Fruit-growers, which has held several annual 
meetings in New York and elsewhere — a highly respectable 
body of intelligent and practical men, meeting annually to 
discuss the merits and promote the culture of the best fruits 
of all kinds. A few years will demonstrate to the country 
the most valuable results from this association of accom- 
plished and experienced pomologists. 



PREFACE 



TO THE 



REVISED AMERICAN EDITION. 



In the preparation of this Edition for the press by the 
publisher, it has been thought desirable to adapt it, in a 
still greater degree, to the wants of American Readers. 

In order to accomplish this, much new matter, and seve- 
ral entirely new articles of especial interest at the present 
time, have been -prepared and added to the work. 

The standard Fruits of our country which have obtained 
the sanction of that intelligent body, the American Con- 
gress of Fruit-growers, up to, and including their last meet- 
ing, in Boston, in September, 1854, is given in full under 
their appropriate heads — 

A more select list of reliable fruits has also been pre- 
pared and placed after the Calendar, and which is particu- 
larly commended to those selecting for the Middle and 
Northern States. 

In order to make room for all of this, some of the origi- 
nal matter of the English Edition has been extracted from 
this, but it consisted almost exclusively of comments on 
English Apples, and other fruits, unknown or proved value- 
less in this country, and the greater part of them have had 



Xll PREFACE. 

their day even in England, and already passed on to their 
rejected lists. 

This work is preeminently suggestive. The reader will 
be surprised at the amount of valuable thought and accu- 
rate information herein embodied. We are not acquainted 
with any similar work in our country which extends over 
so wide a range of fruits, vegetables and flowers. True, 
many things are referred to briefly and yet distinctly. 

The work is quite full and complete on the subject of 
Hot and forcing Houses ; their construction, heating by 
Steam, Hot water, &c. ; the cultivation in them of the 
Grrape, the Peach, Fig, Pine Apple, &c. 

The illustrations of the work are worthy of particular 
notice on account of their great accuracy and beauty, and 
the farmer, the gardener, the fruit-grower, or the amateur, 
will find it when carefully studied, a very useful and 
acceptable help, and prove worthy of extensive circulation. 
New York, 1855. 



CONTEl^TS. 



Introduction, . . - - - 

Fruit and Kitchen Garden in general. 

Situation, shelter, water, walls, and wall-bor- 
ders, espalier-rails, soils and manures; 
Orchard, . - - - - 

Fruit Garden, 

Propagation of Fruit-trees by seed, by layers, 
and by grafting, - - - - 

Planting and training of Fruit-trees, - 

Culture of different kinds of Hardy Fruits. 

Grape-vine, - - - " " 

Fig, 

Peach and Nectarine, - - - - 

Almond, Apricot, Plum, and Cherry, - 
Pears, early and late, - - - - 

Apples, dessert and stewing, - - - 

Quince, Medlar, Service-tree, Mulberry, Hazel, 
Walnut, and Chestnut, 

Small Fruits. 

Red, White, and Black Currants, 
Gooseberry, Raspberry, and Blackberry, 
Strawberry, Cranberry, &c., - 

Kitchen Garden. 

Cabbage Tribe: Heading Cabbages, Savoys, 
Brussels Sprouts, Cauliflower, Broccoli, - 
Leguminous Tribe: Peas, Beans, &c., 
Esculent Roots : Potato, Turnip, and Carrot, 
Parsnip, Beet, Radish, &c., 



PAGE 
15-10 



21-37 



37-50 
60-64 

63-90 

90-94 

94-111 

111-123 

123-136 

136-141 

141-148 

148 

149-155 
155-167 



167-174 
175-178 

178-195 



XIV 



CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Alliaceous Plants : Onions, Leeks, Hops, Shallot, 

and Garlic, . . - - 195-203 
Spinaceous Plants: Spinacli, Tetragonia, Qui- 

noa, &c., 203-206 

Asparagi7ious Plants: Asparagus, Sea-kale, 

Artichoke, and Cardoon, - - - 206-213 
Salads, <^c. : Lettuce, Endive, Succory, Celery, 

Rhubarb-Stalks, Sweet Herbs, - - 213-222 

Melons, Squashes, Pumpkins, tjrc, - - 222-231 

Flower Garden in general. 

Soil, Walks, Edgings, &c., - - 231-243 
Ornamental Shrubs, and Rosary, - - 243-249 
Showy Herbaceous Plants, _ . . 249 
Florists' Floiocrs : Hyacinth, Tulip, Ranuncu- 
lus, Anemone, Carnation, Pink, &c., - 259 
Botanical Structures : Green-house, Conserva- 
tory, Stove, with Ornamental Plants suited 
to each, ----- 282 
Cultivation of Tropical Orchidaceae, - - 295 

Forcing Garden, 298 

Different kinds of furnaces, , - - 301 

Heating by steam, - - . . 302 

hot water, - - - - 307 

Admission of Air and Light, - - - 317 

Vinery, 325 

Peach-house, - - - - - 331 

Cherry-house, Fig-house, and Orangery, - 336 
Pinery, Nursing-Pit, Succession-Pit, and Fruit- 

ing-house, ----- 341 

Culture of Pine-apples, _ _ . 357 

Melonry, various forms of Pits, - - 362 

Cucumbers, Gourds, and Mushrooms, - 369 

Calendar of Horticultural Duties in the various 

months, ----- 377-400 

Select List or Fruits, _ - - - 400-402 



HORTICULTURE. 



INTRODUCTION. 

Horticulture is that branch of rural economy which 
consists in the formation and culture of Gardens. Its 
results are culinary vegetables, fruits, and flowers. On 
one side it is allied to Agriculture, from which, how- 
ever, it is distinguished by the nature of its products, 
and by the smaller extent and greater complexity of 
its operations ; on the other side, in its processes of 
embellishment, it approaches the department of the 
Landscape Gardener and the Forester, from which, how- 
ever, it also retires in the comparative minuteness of its 
details. 

Like other arts. Horticulture borrows its principles 
from the general sciences. To Botany it is beholden 
for the facts and theories of vegetable physiology ; to 
Chemistry for assistance in reference to soils, manures, 
and artificial heat ; and to Meteorology for a knowledge 
of many circumstances which very materially affect the 
labors of the gardener. With these subjects, the phi- 
losophical horticulturist will not fail to make himself 
familiar. But it is very desirable that such information 
should be extensively diffused among 'practical men ; as 



16 INTRODUCTION. 

it is only from this quarter that much improvement, in our 
present state of knowledge, can be expected. Truth, how- 
over, obliges us to admit that gardening has been most 
successfully practiced when treated as an empirical art. 
Few of those who are minutely conversant with its numer- 
ous manipulations have undergone such an intellectual 
training as to enable them to wield general principles with 
effect. Many who are not inexpert or unsuccessful while 
they follow the routine practice (a practice be it remem- 
bered, founded on long experience, and close observation), 
egregiously fail when, with imperfect information, or ill- 
advised ingenuity, they endeavor to strike out new paths 
for themselves. The object of the art, too, limits the ap- 
plication of the deductions of science. Its whole business 
consists in the imitation of Nature, whose processes may 
indeed be, in some measure, originated, as when a seed is 
inserted in the ground, or modified, as in the artificial 
training of fruit-trees, but which may not be entirely con- 
trolled, much less counteracted. The principle of vege- 
table life will not endure interference beyond a certain point, 
and our theoretical views should be so directed as to inter- 
fere with it as little as possible. Observation and experj^ 
ment are the grand means by which the art has arrived at 
its present state of advancement : at the same time, it is 
obvious that an enlarged acquaintance with science will 
aid us in imitating the processes of nature, will guide the 
hand of experiment, suggest contrivances, and enable us 
to guard against error ; and, above all, will tend to dispel 
those prejudices which practitioners in the empirical arts 
are so prone to cherish. 

Gardening, Mr. Walpole observes, was probably one of 
the first arts which succeeded to that of building houses, 
and naturally attended property and individual possession. 



INTRODUCTION. 1 7 

Culinary, and afterwards medicinal herbs, were objects in 
request by every head of a family ; and it became conven- 
ient to have them within reach, without searching for them 
in woods, in meadows, or on mountains, as they might be 
wanted. Separate inclosures for rearing herbs were soon 
found expedient. Fruits were in the same predicament ; 
and those most in use, or the cultivation of which required 
particular attention, must early have entered into and ex- 
tended the domestic inclosure. Such may be deemed the 
leading heads of a conjectural history of the art ; and, in- 
deed, if we would ascend into remote antiquity, we can 
have recourse only to conjecture ; for although, in the 
Sacred Writings, and in the earliest profane authors, allu- 
sions to gardens occur, little is told us either of their pro- 
ductions or their culture. At the close of the Roman com- 
monwealth, the catalogue of fruits had become considerable, 
the principles of grafting and pruning were understood and 
practiced, and shortly afterwards, even artificial heat seems 
to have been partially employed. With the decline of the 
empire, horticulture seems also to have declined, or to have 
become stationary ; but, at the revival of learning, it arose 
from the slumber of the Dark Ages, encumbered, it is true, 
by the dreams of the alchymist, the restrictions of unlucky 
days, and the imaginary effects of lunar influence. From 
these fetters it was ere long emancipated by the diffusion 
of knowledge, and it has hitherto kept pace with the gene- 
ral improvement of society. Modified by climate and 
other circumstances in different countries, its advancement 
has been various ; but nowhere has it made greater pro- 
gress than amongst ourselves. Introduced into England 
at an early period, gardening became conspicuous in the 
reign of Henry VIII, and his immediate successors, and 
met with considerable attention during the reigns of the 



18 IKTRODUCTION. 

Stuarts. In the first half of the eighteenth century, Mil- 
ler, Switzer, and others, labored with success in improving 
the operations, and unfolding the principles of the art; 
and these were succeeded by Abercrombie, Speechly, and 
a host of writers, who added greatly to our stores of know- 
ledge. In 1805 was established the Horticultural Society 
of London, which was followed, in 1809, by the institution 
of the Caledonian Horticultural Society at Edinburgh; 
and in their train have sprung up a multitude of provin- 
cial gardening societies, all of which have given an impulse 
to the public mind, and stimulated the exertions of indi- 
viduals. Experimental gardens have been formed, in which, 
amongst other things, the important task of distinguishing 
and classifying the numerous varieties of our hardy fruits 
has been zealously prosecuted. The mass of information 
now collected is very great, and the labor expended in its 
diflfusion unwearied. Judging from the literature of the 
day, and passing downwards from the sumptuous Transac- 
tions of the Metropolitan Society, through the numerous 
periodicals, to the penny information for the people, we 
shall scarcely find any art, however nationally important, 
which receives more attention, or on which the liberality 
of the wealthy is more abundantly bestowed. The public 
nursery-gardens, too, both at London and elsewhere, es- 
tablishments intimately connected with our subject, and 
which, in a manufacturing nation, are not the least wonder- 
ful amongst the applications of skill and capital, prove the 
extent and perfection to which gardening has advanced. 
Although, however, there is not, perhaps, in the annals of 
invention, a chapter of higher interest than the history of 
Horticulture, the limits prescribed to us do not permit us 
to enter farther into details : we must, therefore, refer to 
the late eminent Mr. Loudon's E,ncyclopadia of Garden- 



INTRODUCTION. 19 

ing, a work, which, for minuteness of exposition, copious- 
ness of illustration, and general accuracy, is perhaps un- 
rivaled amongst the didactic treatises of our times. 

The objects of culture are so numerous, the operations 
so varied, and the materials so copious, that, in presenting 
what can claim only the character of a sketch of our sub- 
ject, it will be necessary to follow a plan of selection. It 
would be unprofitable to describe all the methods of cul- 
ture to be found in practice at the present day ; we shall 
therefore notice such only as are deemed the best. 

The subject naturally divides itself into the Fruit, the 
Kitchen, and the Flower G-arden : but as the first two 
generally occupy the same locality, or are intermingled 
with each other, and as everything connected with their 
formation is inseparably involved, we shall, to some extent, 
take them together. Then will follow the Flower Garden ; 
and, by way of conclusion to the whole, a short Calendar. 



FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 

In this compartment are cultivated the articles which 
are necessary for the supply of the kitchen and the dessert- 
table. In England, it is usually enclosed with walls, not 
only for the sake of security and general shelter, but to 
afford the means of cultivating in that climate the finer 
fruits by training the trees close to the walls. In the 
United States, little or no protection against cold is neces- 
sary, unless it be in the more northern sections. But the 
English garden must be furnished with hot-houses, melon- 
frames, and similar contrivances, by which the fruits of 
warmer climates are subjected to an artificially increased 
temperature, and thus brought to maturity. The size of a 
walled garden ought evidently to bear some proportion to 
the splendor of the mansion-house of which it is an append- 
age, to the extent of the park, and the means of the family. 
Where the demand is large, such a garden should not com- 
prehend less than from four to six acres. In many places, 
this extent will not afford an adequate supply of culinary 
vegetables, but some of the bulkier crops, such as peas, po- 
tatoes and turnips, may be raised in the orchard, or on the 
home farm. From an acre and a half to three acres may 
be regarded as forming a respectable middle-sized garden ; 
but, within the limits already mentioned, it is better, in the 
first formation of a garden, to inclose too large than too 
small a space. 



22 FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 

The productiveness of such an establishment will depend 
chiefly upon the natural fertility of the soil, and the favor- 
able kind of situation, but also in a considerable degree 
upon the labor bestowed upon the culture. Where a gar- 
den is underworked (to use a gardener's phrase), the finer 
products must necessarily be scanty, for whatever requires 
care requires time ; and it not unfrequently happens that a 
gardener fails in some crop, not from defect of method or skill, 
but because he had not been able to overtake it, or has been 
obliged to make his preparations in a hurried and insuffi- 
cient manner. All circumstances being favorable, a British 
garden is perhaps unrivaled in fertility by any cultivated 
spot in the world. A copious supply of esculents flows 
into the kitchen at all seasons ; and after a rich abundance 
of fruit has been aff'orded during summer and autumn, the 
winter stores may be easily prolonged till the early forced 
fruits come again to the table. 

We shall first treat of the general properties and append- 
ages of the Fruit and Kitchen Garden. 

Situation. — The position of the garden in relation to 
the mansion-house properly belongs to the province of 
Landscape-Gardening, as it obviously should be in keeping 
with the general features of the park scenery. There 
should intervene a lawn, or piece of green sward, of larger 
or less dimensions ; and great, attention should be paid to 
the original formation of such lawn. After the surface of the 
ground has been leveled and made fine, some such selection 
of grass-seeds as the following (calculated for half an acre) 
should be adopted : Lolium perenne tenue, (Sle'nder Rya- 
GrasSj) 8 lbs. ; Trifolium repens, {white Dutch Clover,) 
3 lbs. ; T. minus, 1 lb. ; Cynosurus cristatus, ( Orchard 
Grass,) 3 lbs. ; Festuca duriuscula, (Hard or Smooth Fes- 



SITUATION. 23 

cue,) 2 lbs. ; F. ovina tenuifolia, {SleTider Sheep's Fescue,) 
1 lb. ; Poa nemoralis sempervirens, (Annual Meadow 
G^'ass,) 2 lbs. ; and Anthoxanthum odoratum, {Sweet- 
scented Meadow Grass,) 1-2 lb. If the soil be light or 
sandy, more of the fescue-grasses may be sown, and 1-2 lb. 
of Lotus corniculatus {Common Birds-Foot Clover, or 
Trefoil) added. It may, in general, be remarked that, as a 
place of interest to every well-informed proprietor, the gar- 
den should be so near to the mansion as to be conveniently 
accessible on foot, probably within little more than a quar- 
ter of a mile ; while it should be so distant as to avoid the 
possibility of offence arising from the necessary gardening 
operations, and the resort of workmen. A position on one 
side of the house is to be preferred, unless a much more 
eligible one occur in the rear. Wherever it be placed, it 
should be so masked by evergreen shrubs, and by trees, as 
not to be visible from the principal lawn, or from the walks 
in the shrubbery and flower-garden. If the surface of the 
domain be undulated, the garden is almost unavoidably seen 
from some point or other, and the coup<r ceil of the in- 
closure walls is apt to present the idea of a huge box ; an 
unpleasant impression, which should by all means be avoid- 
ed or lessened by plantations judiciously introduced. 

Ground possessing a gentle inclination toward the south 
is desirable for a garden. On such a slope effectual drain- 
ing is easily accomplished, and the greatest possible benefit 
is derived from the sun's rays. The lower part of the gen- 
tle declivity is perhaps to be preferred ; but a very low 
situation should scarcely be chosen, as the subsoil is apt to 
be damp ; fogs often brood over such spots, and frosts are 
more injurious there than on higher ground. It is benefi- 
cial to have an open exposure towards the east and west, so 



24 FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 

that the garden may enjoy the full benefit of the morning 
and evening sun. 

Shelter is absolutely necessary, particularly in England; 
and that afforded by natural objects, such as rising grounds, 
is the best. Where this is wanting, its place should be 
supplied by masses of forest-trees, disposed at such a dis- 
tance, however, as not to shade the wall trees, perhaps not 
nearer than 150 feet. The chief purpose of such screens is 
to break the force of the winds ; and as every situation is, 
in this respect, liable to some peculiarities occasioned by 
the general structure of the country, or by the reverbera- 
tion of aerial currents from adjacent eminences, these pe- 
culiarities should be carefully observed and obviated. The 
idea that crowded plantations increase the warmth of a 
place is often fallacious ; and, in the opinion of many, they 
do more harm than good, by encouraging blight. The trees 
employed may be of a varied character, but lime-tree, 
horse-chestnut, beech, sycamore, weeping birch, oak, and 
the elm, should prevail. There may also be a proportion 
of evergreen trees, such as firs, pines, hollies, and evergreen 
oaks. When these masses of wood are planted at the time 
the garden is formed, poplars, larches, and other fast- 
growing trees, should be thickly intermixed to act as tem- 
porary trees or nurses, which are afterwards to be weeded 
out, as the permanent trees more slowly advance to matu- 
rity. Walls immediately around the garden, and low 
hedges intersecting the compartments, are highly useful in 
preventing radiation during clear nights, which always pro- 
duces great additional cold. 

A supply of water is equally necessary. Where a 
streamlet can be made to flow through the garden, and keep 
a central pool constantly full, it will conduce both to utility 
and amenity. In many places, such a streamlet cannot be 



WATER APPROACH. 25 

commanded ; but water may be conducted in pipes from 
springs or sources higher than the general level of the 
garden, and collected in a tank in the upper part of the in- 
closure. Supposing the garden to have a slope to the 
south, water might not only be supplied from such tank 
for ordinary garden purposes, but might be made to irrigate 
different quarters in succession. The late Mr. Knight, of 
"Downton, was in the practice of irrigating with great 
advantage his strawberry beds while in flower, the rows of 
celery and of broccoli, and of other crops transplanted 
during summer; and particularly the late crops of peas, 
the irrigation of whidi tended to prevent mildew, and to 
insure the production of healthy green peas during the 
month of October. A pipe of sufficient calibre should be 
led from the pool or tank to the hot-houses, and to two or 
three different stations in the garden. Well or spring 
water should be exposed in reservoirs to the action of the 
sun and air, when it becomes comparatively soft and salu- 
brious for plants. As rain-water is found better than any 
other for this purpose, all that can be collected should be 
stored in cisterns and kept for use. 

Connected with the situation is the approach to the 
garden from without, a matter requiring some taste and 
contrivance. If possible, it should be from the south, 
when the range of glazed houses, always fronting towards 
the south, will be seen at once, and produce a pleasing 
effect. Sometimes a lateral entrance is very suitable, 
leading it may be supposed, from the flower-garden through 
an intermediate shrubbery, and coming upon the hot-houses 
in flank. It is delightful to be introduced at once and by 
surprise into a Slip, as it is called, where on the one hand 
there is an extent of wall covered with luxuriant fruit-trees 

in full bearing, and on the other is displayed a rich collec- 

2 



26 FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 

tion of ornamental shrubs and large perennial border- 
flowers. 

Form. — The shape of a garden, it is obvious, must 
chiefly be determined by the nature of the situation, and 
the taste of the proprietor. In general, gardens are either 
squares or oblongs, chiefly, it is presumed, because walls 
of this confignration contain the greatest space within the 
least perimeter, a result of very questionable value. They 
may be of any form, with this limitation, that attention 
should be paid to facilitating the transport of manures 
and garden products, for when the grounds are straggling, 
or complicated in structure, the labor of cultivation is 
much increased. 

Exterior Fence. — Most English gardens are encircled 
by an outer boundary, formed by a sunk wall or ha-ha, 
surmounted by an invisible wire-fence to exclude hares, or 
by a hedge or paling. Occasionally this sunk wall is 
placed on the exterior of the screen plantations, and walks 
lead out among the trees, to give favorable views of the 
adjacent country. Although the interior garden necessa- 
rily receives its form from the walls, the ring-fence and 
plantations may, with propriety, be adapted to the shape 
and surface of the ground. The spaces between the outer 
fence and the walls are, as already noticed, called Slips, 
and, where circumstances render it eligible, a considerable 
extent of ground is sometimes included, and appropriated 
to the culture of small fruits, and kitchen vegetables. If 
possible, the gardener's house should be situate here, as 
being convenient for him, and as tending to scare depre- 
dators. 

Walls. — For the production of the finer fruits, such as 
peaches, apricots, figs, hardy grapes, and most of the 
delicate French and Flemish pears, the aid of walls is in- 



WALLS. 27 

dispensable in the English climate. Indeed, in the north- 
ern and higher parts of that country, where there is no 
walled garden, the dessert can seldom consist of more than 
small fruits, such as gooseberries, with some apples and 
pears. So valuable in this respect are walls, that it is 
perhaps a matter of surprise that they have not been mul- 
tiplied by the erection of slight and cheap structures, 
such as are common in the peach-gardens in France. The 
north inclosure wall having, towards the interior of the 
garden, a south aspect, is of course appropriated to the 
more tender kind of fruit-trees ; here, it is generally esti- 
mated, they enjoy an increased temperature equal to 7° 
of south latitude. The east and west walls are set apart 
for fruits of a somewhat hardier character ; while the inner 
face of the south inclosure wall, having a north aspect, is 
well adapted for retarding Morella cherries and currants. 
In the United States, walls are not indispensable, although 
often beneficial. 

The north inclosure wall is generally placed nearly per- 
pendicular to the meridian, that is, so as to have the sun di- 
rectly in front at 12 o'clock. Minute directions have indeed 
been given to make it face towards 11 or 11 1-2 A.M., on 
the ground that thus it would sooner meet the rays of the 
morning sun ; but it does not appear that this arrangement 
has been the subject of direct experiment, and certainly 
the arguments by which the superiority of this aspect is 
supported are far from being satisfactory. The east and 
west walls are commonly placed at right angles to that 
already mentioned, but they may follow the shape of the 
ground, and if this slope to the south, they descend with 
the declivity. The south inclosure wall affords on the out- 
ride a valuable aspect to the south., which is deserving of 
particular attention, the finest fruit being often here pro- 



28 FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 

duced. It is presumed that all the walls are to be covered, 
both within and without, with trees trained en csjmlier. 

Different portions of the inclosure wall are always built 
of different heights, and this variation of height is the 
more necessary when the ground approaches to a level. In 
such a situation, and when the inclosure does not exceed 
two acres, the north wall may rise to the elevation of 14 
feet ; the walls on the east and west may be two feet lower, 
and the south wall need not exceed 10 feet. In larger 
gardens, the walls are generally made proportionally higher : 
on the north, perhaps, TG feet, on the east and west 14, 
and on the south 12. In several excellent Scottish gar- 
dens, planned by the late Mr. Hay, such as that at Castle 
Semple, a piece of building is made to project diagonally 
outwards from the corners where the walls meet at right 
angles. This projection is 16 or 17 feet in length. It 
serves to strengthen the fabric, and at the same time, acts 
as a hrise-vent^ breaking the force of the winds which sweep 
around walled gardens. 

Walls inclined to the horizon have been recommended 
by DesagulierS; Hoffels, and others ; but, independently 
of the theoretical objections which might be urged against 
them, and which, in actual practice, would probably coun- 
terbalance their supposed advantages, they must be incon- 
venient from their bulk, or the large space which they oc- 
cupy ; and hence they have never come into general use. 
Where, however, the natural slope of the ground is too 
great for carrying on the ordinary operations of gardening, 
sloping terraces may advantageously be converted into a 
kind of inclined wall, to be faced with slate or some other 
material that does not readily absorb moisture. 

Bricks afford the best and the most kindly m aterial for 
garden-walls. Being rough and porous they absorb radiant 



WALLS. 29 

caloric, and, being bad conductors, they accumulate heat ; 
when thus rendered warmer than the ambient air, they 
rapidly part with the extra heat, and maintain the temper- 
ature amid the branches nailed to the wall ; they do not 
retain moisture, and, by their numerous interstices, they 
furnish every facility for nailing in the twigs of the fruit- 
trees. Where freestone (that is, sandstone capable of 
being easily dressed) is abundant, the exterior wall is often 
formed of coursed masonry, and the interior is faced with 
bricks. The foundation should, if possible, be formed of 
stone. Whimstone (that is, either the greenstone or the 
basalt of mineralogists) forms an excellent material for 
fruit-walls. It is susceptible of a neat hammer-dressing ; 
it does not readily imbibe moisture, and therefore is not 
much cooled by evaporation ; and being of a very dark 
color, it absorbs more solar heat during sunshine than a 
lighter surface, while at night the radiation from both is 
nearly the same. Different parts of the principal fruit- 
wall of the Horticultural Society's Garden at Edinburgh 
are built of brick, of freestone, and of greenstone ; and 
the plants trained against the greenstone portion have 
evinced, by their growth and earlier maturity, that they 
enjoy a somewhat superior temperature. 

For the preservation of the walls, a coping is necessary ; 
and it seems a matter of indifference whether it be formed 
of stones with a rounded surface, or of flat pavement, or 
of tiles. Probably it should not project more than an inch, 
though some contend for a larger measure, on the ground 
of its preventing to some extent the radiation of heat from 
the tree towards the sky in clear nights, and thus favoring 
the deposition of dew. Temporary copings of wood are 
often adopted, and are found to answer every good purpose. 
They are put on in spring to protect the tender blossom 



30 FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 

and embryo fruit from the hoarfrost, and when danger is 
past are removed to give free access to the genial showers 
and sunshine of summer and autumn. 

Hot Walls. — A considerable proportion of the walls of 
every good garden, especially in the north, should be con- 
structed with flues to supply the means of applying arti- 
ficial heat. The additional expense is trifling; and, in 
cold seasons and cold situations, the aid of this species of 
wall is nearly indispensable for the regular ripening of 
grapes, apricots, and figs, as exemplified at Erskine House 
on the Clyde, where, with the assistance of a little fire- 
heat, large and high-flavored black Hamburgh grapes are 
produced, and where Mayduke cherries have been ripened 
at least six weeks before the usual period. The application 
of fire-heat for a few weeks in spring will secure the setting 
of the fruit, and the same operation continued for a short 
time in autumn will suffice to ripen it, and also to prepare 
the young wood for the next year. The flues may be about 
twenty inches deep, and should make as many horizontal 
turns as the height of the wall will permit. One furnace 
will be enough for a surface fifty feet in length. When 
the boundary walls do not furnish room sufficient for the 
production of the finer fruits, cross walls are built athwart 
the garden from east to west, of the same height as the side 
walls, to which they nearly approach. They are generally 
fined, and are sometimes furnished, on their southern 
aspect, with sloping glazed frames, either fixed or movable. 
These cross walls add greatly to the capabilities of a fruit- 
garden, and are useful in afi'ording additional shelter to the 
small fruits and crops of vegetables in the culinary quarters. 

Esjjalier- Rails. — Subsidiary to walls as a means of train- 
ing fruit-trees, espalier-rails were formerly much employed, 
and they still prevail in many parts of England. In their 



ESPALIER-RAILS SOIL. 31 

simplest form, they are merely a row of slender stakes of 
ash or Spanish chestnut, driven into the ground, and con- 
nected by a slight rod or fillet at top. In some gardens 
the perpendicular rods are fastened into two horizontal 
rails, supported by strong posts, which are battened into 
stones. Cast-iron rails have also been proposed. The 
framework is sometimes inclined to the horizon, or adapted 
to a sloping bank, as in the gardens of the Earl of Selkirk, 
at St. Mary's Isle ; where some of the trees, although so 
trained more than sixty years ago, are still in a healthy 
condition, bearing abundant crops of fruit. In other cases 
the framework is placed flat like a table, and when there is 
plenty of room, this proves a good arrangement. Espalier- 
rails, especially the more elaborate sorts, are expensive and 
formal ; and, therefore, in many instances, have given place 
to dwarf standard trees, which are equally productive, and 
far more elegant in their appearance. 

Soil. — It is of great importance that the ground select- 
ed for a garden should be naturally of a good quality. A 
hazel-colored loam, of a light or sandy texture, is well 
adapted for most crops, whether of fruits or culinary vege- 
tables. Porosity is indispensable not only for the transmis- 
sion of moisture, but of air, to the roots of plants. As it 
is more easy to render a light soil sufficiently retentive 
than to make a tenacious clay sufficiently porous, a light 
soil is preferable to one which is excessively stiff and heavy. 
It is advantageous to possess a variety of soils ; and if the 
garden be on a slope, it will often be practicable to render 
the upper part light and dry, while the lower remains of a 
heavier and damper nature. The soil should be good to 
the depth of two feet, and any necessary additional deep- 
ening by manures or otherwise should not be neglected. 
The nature of the subsoil demands particular attention. If 



32 FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 

it be strongly impregnated with metallic substances, or 
composed of cold wet clay, it will prove pernicious to the 
roots of fruit-trees, and will scarcely admit of a remedy. 
A decomposing rock, or a bed of sand, is preferable, 
Perliaps the best of all is a dry bed of clay, overlaying 
sandstone, which crops out within the general inclosure. 
If the inferior strata be retentive, and if water lodge in any 
part of the garden, draining should be carefully executed, 
so as to carry off the superfluous moisture. 

Preparatory to the distribution of the several parts of a 
garden, it is proper that the ground be trenched to the 
depth of two feet at least : but the deeper the better. In 
this operation all stones larger than a man's fist are to be 
taken out, and all roots of trees, and of perennial weeds, 
are carefully to be extracted and cleared away. When the 
soil is not tolerably good to the depth of two feet, it will 
generally be proper to remove a portion of the subsoil ; 
and its place should be made up by a proportional quantity 
of turf or fresh loam from the fields. If the subsoil be 
gravel, and the upper layer sandy, the additional earth 
should be clayey loam, or the scourings of ditches ; but if 
the original body of soil be of a compact texture, the ma- 
terials introduced should be mixed with sand, marl, and 
other light opening substances. When the whole ground 
has been thus treated, a moderate liming will, in general, 
be useful. After this, supposing the work to have occupied 
most of the summer and autumn, the whole may be laid up 
in ridges, and left in this state for several months, to ex- 
pose as great a surface as possible to the action of the 
winter's frost. The draining, trenching, and other opera- 
tions here recommended, will unavoidably be attended with 
considerable expense, and this expense will not immediately 
be followed by any perceptible beneficial result. The lapse 



DRAINING, MANURES, ETC. 33 

of a few years, however, will develop the vast advantages 
of such a mode of procedure, which, if it have been neglect- 
ed at first, cannot be practiced at a subsequent period but 
with indifferent success, and not without an increase of cost 
and labor. 

Manures, Sfc. — In enumerating the general appendages 
of gardens, it may be proper to say something of manures ; 
but we do not consider it necessary to enter into minute 
details on this subject. Where there are extensive melon- 
grounds, an abundance of stable and other litter is re- 
quired ; and this substance, in its partially decomposed 
state, as afforded by exhausted hot-beds, supplies a manure 
well adapted to aid the processes of vegetation. Decayed 
leaves, which are plentiful where there are extensive plea- 
sure-grounds, and which should be carefully swept together, 
and collected into a heap in the autumnal months, also 
form an excellent manure for many purposes. Some prac- 
tical men prefer composts to simple dungs, or such sub- 
stances as have undergone fermentation. For fruit-trees, 
turf from rich pastures, mixed with vegetable earth, is per- 
haps the best stimulant that can be applied. It is ques- 
tionable whether any sort of trees are permanently benefited 
by the application of crude manures to their roots ; and it 
is certain that many have been irremediably injured by 
this practice. But whatever caution may be necessary in 
their use, the prudent horticulturist will find it expedient 
to pay constant attention to the collection and accumula- 
tion of manures. Liquid manures, or the drainings of 
the stable and cow-house, are valuable, yet too often 
neglected. To fix the ammonia. Professor Liebig recom- 
mends their being passed through a filter, formed of frag- 
ments of gypsum, which should be occasionally renewed. 
The garden cannot go on long without manures ; for ground 



34 FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 

which is exhausted by continual cropping requires to be 
continually repaired. A compartment for the preparation 
of manure, and storing of vegetable, and heathy, or other 
soils, is necessary; and part of it should be covered with a 
shed, so that moderately dry earth may not be wanting for 
the early forcing of cucumbers and melons in the spring, 
and for similar purposes. 

Internal Arrangement. — In gardens of the superior 
class, a considerable portion of the north wall, or of the 
cross-wall, is covered in front with glazed structures, called 
hot-houses or forcing-houses. To these the houses for or- 
namental plants are sometimes attached ; but the last are 
more appropriately situate in the flower-garden, when that 
forms a separate department. It is well, however, that 
everything connected with the forcing, whether of fruits or 
flowers, should be concentrated in one place. Where there 
is a melonry, and other smaller pine-pits, these should 
occupy some well-sheltered spot in the slip, or on one side 
of the garden, and, if possible, in the neighborhood of the 
stable-yard. Adjoining to this may be found a suitable 
site for the compost ground, in which various kinds of soils 
may be kept in store, and composts may be prepared, as 
already hinted. 

Extensive gardens, in exposed situations are often divided 
into compartments by hedges, so disposed as to break the 
force of winds. Where these are required to be lofty, yet 
narrow, holly, yew, or beach are preferred ; but if space be 
no object, common laurel is one of the most beautiful 
plants that can be employed for this purpose. Small 
hedges may be formed of evergreen privet, or of tree-box. 
These subordinate divisions, though often neglected, are 
worthy of attention ; for, in addition to shelter, they fur- 
nish shade from the sun's rays, which at certain seasons is 



WALL-BORDERS ORCHARDS. 35 

peculiarly desirable, and they obviate the cbilling effects 
of radiation to a considerable extent. 

The laying out of the area of the garden in walks, bor- 
ders, and compartments, may be regulated very much by 
the shape of the ground, and the taste of the owner. In 
general, a gravel walk, six or eight feet broad, is led quite 
around the garden, both within and without the walls. A 
walk of similar dimensions is often constructed in the cen- 
tre of the garden in the direction of the glazed houses, and 
this is sometimes crossed by another at right angles. At 
times these walks are led diagonally from the corners. 
The space between the wall and the walk that skirts it is 
called the wall-border, and is commonly from fifteen to 
twenty feet broad. On the interior of the walk there is 
usually another border five or six feet broad, which is gen- 
erally occupied by fruit-trees trained to espalier rails, or 
by dwarf-fruit trees. The middle part of the garden is 
divided into rectangular compartments for the raising of 
the various culinary crops. These compartments may be 
divided by rows of moderate-sized fruit trees, or of goose- 
berry and currant bushes. Standard fruit-trees, however, 
soon grow so large as to shade so much ground, that they 
cannot be allowed except where the garden is very large. 
It is advantageous, to form several small beds, in which to 
cultivate the less bulky articles, such as basil, sage, tarra- 
gon, spearmint and thyme, which, in large spaces, are apt 
to be overlooked or neglected. 

Wall-borders. — The preparation of borders for fruit- 
trees is a matter of the utmost importance, and no pains 
should be spared in this essential operation. Where bor- 
ders are not in good condition, the care and toil of the 
most experienced gardener will avail but little toward the 
production of fruit. The first object is eff"ectual draining. 



36 . FRUIT AND KITCHEN GARDEN. 

The next if the subsoil be indifferent, is the confining the 
trees to the good surface soil, by the formation of a bottom 
impervious to their roots. This is sometimes done with 
stone-shivers and lime-rubbish, or with coal-ashes and clay, 
compacted by treading with the feet, and beating with the 
back of a spade. Loudon recommends successive layers, 
an inch thick, of clean gravel, pulverized earth, and then 
gravel, well watered and firmly compressed by means of a 
heavy roller. Good soil to the depth of two feet and a 
half, or three feet, is placed over this impervious bottom. 
Three-fourths rich loam, and one- fourth light sandy earth, 
form a mixture congenial to the generality of fruit-trees. 
In selecting the soil, regard may be had to the particular 
trees which are to cover different portions of the wall. 
Thus a heavy soil may be allotted to pears and plums j 
loam of a medium character, inclining to be strong, to 
peaches, nectarines, and apricots ; and a lighter earth to 
cherries and figs. Above all, care should be taken to ren- 
der the borders sufficiently rich and substantial. Whilst 
every skilful horticulturist may, in various ways, reduce 
the luxuriance of his trees, nothing can compensate for ex- 
treme poverty in the soil. The same principle will dictate 
moderation in cropping wall-borders with culinary vegeta- 
bles ; a practise in which gardeners are apt to exceed from 
a desire to furnish very early crops of peas, turnips, cab- 
bage, or potatoes. Lettuce, endive, or small sallad plants, 
do little harm. 

Orchards. — "Within the limits of the greater proportion 
of large gardens, such a number of dwarf standard trees 
may be planted as will prove sufficient to afford a supply 
of fruit for an ordinary family. Where, however, this is 
not the case, it is desirable that there should be a separate 
orchard. A situation similar to' that of a garden, and the 



Truit garden. 37 

same preparatory operations, are necessary ; but a simple 
hedge will, in most situations, suffice for a fence. The 
trees may here be on free stocks and trained as high stan- 
dards, and the taller growing pears and apples are best 
suited for a large orchard. Thoresby, in his Diary under 
date of March 1702, mentions as a novelty, an orchard, 
"kept in the new order of dwarf trees," evidently intima- 
ting that dwarf standards were introduced from Holland by 
the Prince of Orange at the time of the revolution. When 
an additional supply of culinary vegetables is required, 
they may be cultivated in the orchard ; and then the trees 
should be planted in rows, with considerable intervals be- 
tween the rows, otherwise the close quincunx order is pre- 
ferable. In any circumstances, the trees should not be 
choked up with currant and gooseberry bushes, as is too 
common in market gardens. A few plums and cherries 
are commonly introduced ; and on the margin may be 
planted walnuts, chestnuts, filberts, and any others less 
commonly cultivated, or the fruit of which is not much in 
demand. The whole should be effectually screened from 
the prevailing winds, by rows of forest trees ; at a suffi- 
cient distance, however, to prevent shading by their branch- 
es, or the robbing of the soil by their roots. 

FKUIT GARDEN. 

We shall first direct our attention to the culture of 
hardy fruits, or of such as, in the climate of England, and 
the United States, do not to an extensive degree, require 
the assistance of artificial heat. But before proceeding to 
a minute detail of the management of the different varie- 
ties, it may be proper to attend to some of the operations 
which are common to all. 



38 FRUIT GARDEN. 

Preliminary Operations 

may be classed under the heads Propagation, Planting, 
Training, and Protection of Blossom. 

Propagatio7i hy Seed. — Although fruit-trees are fur- 
nished with all the natural means of reproduction, it is not 
in general expedient to attempt to propagate them by the 
sowing of seed. This method is found to be equally tedious 
and precarious, requiring the labor of a good many years, 
and very rarely producing an exact copy of the fruits from 
which the seeds are taken. The chief reason of the varia- 
tion is pretty obvious; the blossoms of different varieties 
of the same species of fruit are commonly expanded, at the 
same period of time, in the neighborhood of each other, and 
the pollen of one kind is thus extremely apt to be trans- 
ferred, by the agency of bees and other insects, to the 
stigma of another kind. If, therefore, we desire to pro- 
cure uncontaminated seed of an excellent variety, such as 
the Ribston apple, we ought to encircle the blossom-bud 
with a fine gauze bag, sufficiently wide to allow the blos- 
som to expand, and not remove the covering till the fruit 
be fairly set. Another source of variation is to be found 
in the influence of the stock upon the graft, which is real, 
though not easily detected, except in extreme cases (such 
as grafting Scotch apples upon stocks of the Russian trans- 
parent, and finding the former acquiring the transparent cha- 
racter). To obviate this the tree should stand on its own 
bottom, or be struck from a cutting. All our present ad- 
mired fruits are regarded as seminal varieties obtained 
from the wild inhabitants of the forests ; they have been 
trained into an artificial condition, and when sown seem to 
have a tendency to resume their original constitution. In 



PROPAGATION BY SEEDS. 39 

the peach-orchards of America, for instance, which are 
planted with the kernels of choice sorts, there are seldom 
more than a few trees affording fruit fit for the tahlo, the 
produce of the majority being so worthless that it is usual- 
ly employed for feeding hogs. Notwithstanding this em- 
barrassing circumstance, there are some considerations 
which render this mode of propagation at once interesting 
and important to horticulturists. It is the only way by 
which we can procure new kinds to supply the place of 
those which are falling into decay ; and to some extent it 
affords the means of adapting the more tender sorts to the 
rigor of our climate. 

It is well known that some of the favorite cider ap- 
ples of the seventeenth century have become extinct, 
and others are fast verging into decrepitude; and hence 
the conclusion has been drawn, that all our present 
fruits, as they are artificial in their constitution, are 
also limited in their duration. Each variety spring- 
ing from an individual at first, however extended by 
grafting or budding, partakes of the qualities of the 
individual; and where the original is old, there is in- 
herent in the derivatives the tendency to decay incident to 
old age. It is assumed that all the individual trees of any 
given variety, such as the Golden Pippin, or the Gray 
Leadington, are in a lax sense equivalent to one indivi- 
dual. By careful management, the health and life of this 
composite individual may be prolonged ; and grafts insert- 
ed into vigorous stocks, and nursed in favorable situations, 
may long survive their parent tree ; still there is a sure 
progress towards extinction, and the only renewal of the 
individual, the only true reproduction, is by sowing seed. 
It is admitted by those who have paid attention to the 



40 FRUIT GARDEN. 

subject, that this curious principle of vegetable economy 
holds true, at least in so far as regards fruit trees. 

The late Mr. Knight, (to whom this ingenious theory is 
due,) conceived the idea of supplying the lack of fine old 
varieties by semination. It further occurred to him, that 
advantage might be taken of that tendency which plants ex- 
hibit on repeated sowings, to adapt themselves to the cli- 
mates in which they are raised, so that trees of warmer 
countries may thus become habituated to colder regions. 
He therefore devoted much of his attention to the produc- 
tion of improved and robust varieties ; and his zeal and 
labors have been rewarded by the Acton Scott Peach, the 
Ingestrie and Downton Apples, and many others, in al- 
most every sort of hardy fruit. Mr. Knight entertained 
the opinion, deduced, we may presume, from experiment, 
that more is to be expected from hybrid varieties, than 
from the mere reproduction of old kinds ; he therefore had 
recourse to the nice operation of dusting the pollen of one 
kind on the pistil of another. He opened the unexpa.nded 
blossom of the variety destined to be the female parent of 
the expected progeny, and with a pair of fine-pointed scis- 
sors, cut away all the stamens, while the anthers were yet 
unripe, taking care to leave the style and the stigma unin- 
jured. When the female blossom, thus prepared, came 
naturally to expand, the blossoms of the other variety des- 
tined to be the male parent were applied. • Mr. Knight 
has often remarked in the progeny a strong prevalence of 
the constitution and habits of the female parent : in this 
country, therefore, in experimenting on pears, the pollen 
of the more delicate French kinds, such as (Cr^anne,) 
Colmar, and Chaumontelle, should be dusted upon the 
flowers (always deprived of stamens) of the Muirfowl egg, 



PROPAGATION BY SEEDS. 41 

the Grey Achan, the Green Yair, or others, that are hardy, 
or of British origin. 

As this is a subject of interest, we may state some of the 
precautions adopted by Mr. Knight and his followers, in 
conducting their experiments. It is, in the first place, a 
rule to employ seeds of the finest kinds of fruit, and to 
take them from the largest, ripest, and best flavored speci- 
mens of the fruit. When Mr. Knight wished to procure 
some of the old apples in a healthy and renovated state, he 
prepared stocks of such good sorts as could be propagated 
from cuttings ; he planted them against a south wall in 
rich soil, and then grafted them with the kind required. 
In the following winter the young trees were taken up, 
their roots retrenched, and then replanted in the same 
place, by which mode of treatment they were thrown into 
bearing when only two years old. Not more than a couple 
of apples were allowed to remain on each tree, and these, 
in consequence, attained a larger size and more perfect 
maturity. The seeds of these apples were then sown, in 
the hope of procuring an equally excellent offspring. In 
the case of cross-impregnation, every seed, though taken 
from the same fruit, produces a different variety, and these 
varieties, as might be anticipated, prove to be of very vari- 
ous merit. In general those seeds are to be preferred 
which are plump and round. An estimate of the value of 
the seedling trees may be formed, even during the first 
summer of their growth, from the resemblance they bear, 
in bud and foliage, to highly cultivated and approved trees. 
The leaves of promising seedlings improve in character, 
becoming thicker, rounder, and more downy every season. 
Those whose buds in the annual wood are full and promi- 
nent, generally prove more productive than those whose 
buds are small and seemingly shrunk into the bark. Early 



42 FRUIT GARDEN. 

flowering and hardy blossoms are desirable characters. It 
has been observed, that even after a seedling tree has com- 
menced bearing, its fruit has a tendency to improve as the 
tree itself acquires vigor, so that, if, in the first season, 
there is any considerable promise, a great melioration may 
be expected in succeeding years. 

The slowness with which seedlings reach the bearing 
state has been the subject of complaint among horticultur- 
ists, and indeed is the principal reason why this mode of 
propagation has not been more frequently practiced. 
According to Mr. Knight, the pear requires from twelve to 
eighteen years to reach the age of puberty ; the apple from 
five to twelve or thirteen years ; the plum or cherry four or 
five ; the vine three or four ; the raspberry two years. 
The peach he found to bear in two, three, or four years. 
The period, however, must depend greatly on the soil, situ- 
ation, and mode of culture. In the warm and highly- 
manured garden of M. Van Mons at Brussels (called 
Pepini^re de la Fidelite, 1816), seedling pear-trees pro- 
duced fruit in considerable quantities in the sixth and 
seventh summers. The great means of accelerating the 
epoch of bearing seems to be, to make the trees grow vigor- 
ously when young. Crude manures are indeed to be 
avoided ; but vegetable earth, and, above all, a liberal sup- 
ply of rotted turf, are wholesome and excellent stimulants. 
The seed-bed, and the ground on which the seedlings are 
transplanted, should be extremely well worked and com- 
minuted with the spade, and should not be too much ex- 
posed to the parching rays of the sun and withering action 
of the wind. Great care ought to be taken to prevent the 
young plants from becoming stunted. In pruning, the 
small twigs in the interior should be removed, so as to 
relieve the tree from the bushy appearance which it is apt 



PROPAGATION BY LAYERS. 43 

to assume. It has been recommended to transfer cions and 
buds of promising individuals into other trees in a bearing 
state. This is peculiarly advantageous with respect to the 
peach and other stone fruits, as it both hastens the period 
of puberty, and economizes the space which must be occu- 
pied, especially where these are on a wall. 

Propagation by Cuttings. — Gooseberries, currants, figs, 
vines, and some others, are increased by means of cuttings. 
An annual shoot is taken off along with a thin slice, or 
heel, as it is called, of the former year's wood, which is 
found to facilitate the production of roots. The cuttings 
are placed firmly in the soil, at various depths, according 
to their length, the buds or eyes which would thus come 
beneath the surface having been previously removed. 
Vines are sometimes propagated from small pieces of shoots 
having a single bud ; when they have to be transmitted to 
a distance, an inch in length may suffice. Most of the cod- 
lin apples may be increased by cuttings ; and even large 
branches of those which produce burs may be planted at 
once, with success. In all deciduous trees the operation 
is most advantageously performed in winter. 

Propagation by Layers. — This is not much resorted to 
in the fruit garden. It is occasionally employed as the 
means of dwarfing trees. " Laying," says Professor 
Lindley, " is nothing but striking from cuttings which are 
still allowed to maintain their connection with the mother 
plant by means of a portion at least of their stem." The 
operation is performed by bending down a branch to the 
earth, and pinning it there with hooked pegs. A few 
inches from the extremity a notch or slit is cut upwards, 
generally from the insertion of a bud. Sometimes the 
shoot is pierced with a number of holes ; a wire is bound 
round it ; or even a ring of bark is removed. The object 



44 FRUIT GARDEN. 

of these expedients is to retard tlie descending sap, and 
thus promote the formation of radicles, or young roots. 
This is also aided by bending the branch upward from the 
point at which the roots are wanted ; and the whole branch, 
except a few buds at the extremity, is covered with soil. 
The seasons best fitted for these operations are early in 
spring and about midsummer, that is before the sap begins 
to flow, and after it has completely ascended. One whole 
summer, sometimes two summers, must elapse before the 
layers can be expected to be fully rooted, or ready to be 
taken oflF. 

Fropagation by Grafting. — When a shoot or young 
branch of one tree is inserted into the stem or branch of 
another, and, by the influence of vegetation, is made to 
coalesce with it, the process is termed grafting. In this 
manner apple and pear-trees are commonly propagated ; 
plum and cherry-trees are sometimes also grafted, but these 
last are most generally propagated by budding. Our 
attention must here be directed to the stocks into which the 
shoots or cions, as they are called, are inserted ; to the 
ciojis themselves, and to the mechanical oj)eratio?is em- 
ployed in grafting. 

The stocks should be of the same goius to which the 
graft belongs, or, at least, of close afiinity in natural family. 
The following are the principal kinds of stocks, including, 
by anticipation, such as are used in budding. For apples^ 
seedlings of the crab apple, layers of the doucin or paradise, 
and of the codlins, with cuttings of the bur-knot varieties. 
For pears^ seedlings of the common and wilding pear ; with 
seedlings or layers of quince. Yor plums, seedlings of any 
of the common sorts, particularly the Brussels and the 
Brompton ; also the BuUace plum. For chei'ries^ seed- 
lings of the small black cherry or gean, Prunus Avium ; 



PROrAGATION BY GRAFTING. 45 

and, for dwarfing, P. Malialeb. For apricots^ seedlings of 
the wilding apricot, with the muscle and Brussels plum. 
For peaches and nectarines, seedlings of the muscle, white 
pear -plum, and Damas noir plum, the almond, and the 
wilding peach. 

Stocks are commonly divided into two classes, viz., free 
stocks and divarjing stocks. The former consist of seed- 
ling plants, which naturally attain to the same size as the 
trees from which the cions are taken. The latter are plants 
of diminutive growth, either varieties of the same species, 
or species of the same genus as the cion, which have a ten- 
dency to lessen the expansion of the engrafted tree. The 
Paradise or doucin is the usual dwarfing stock for apples, 
the Quince for pears, the Bullace for plums, and Prunus 
Mahaleb (Cerasus Mahaleb, or sweet-scented cherry), for 
cherries. The nature of the soil in which the grafted trees 
are destined to grow should also have weight in determin- 
ing the choice of stocks. When the garden is naturally 
moist, it is proper to graft pears on the quince, because 
this plant agrees with a moist soil, and at the same time 
the luxuriance thereby produced is checked by the stock. 
In France, peaches are commonly budded on almond stocks 
to adapt them to the dry soils of that country. The seeds 
from which stocks are to be raised are generally sown in 
beds in March ; but the germination of some kinds is pro- 
moted by placing the seed for a time, in damp sand in a 
green-house. Next season the seedlings are transplanted 
into nursery rows, in which they are allowed to reach the 
size necessary for the various forms of fruit-trees hereafter 
to be mentioned. 

The cion is always a portion of the wood of the preceding 
year. As the diseases incident to fruit trees are apt to be 
transmitted by this mode of propagation, it is desirable 



46 FRUIT GARDEN. 

that the parents should be as healthy as possible. In the 
shy-bearing kinds it has been found beneficial to select 
shoots from the fruitful branches. The cions should be 
taken off some weeks before they be wanted, and half-buried 
in the earth, as it is conducive to success that the stock 
should, in forwardness of vegetation, be somewhat in 
advance of the graft. During winter, grafts may be trans- 
ferred from great distances, as from America, or any part 
of the Continent of Europe, if carefully wrapped up in 
hypnum moss. If they have been six weeks or two months 
separated from the parent plant, they should be grafted 
low on the stock, and the earth should be ridged up around 
them, leaving only one bud of the cion above ground. Out 
of forty cions of new Flemish pears, procured by the depu- 
tation of the Caledonian Horticultural Society from Brus- 
sels and Louvain, in 1817, and treated in this way, only 
one failed.* 

Success in grafting depends almost entirely on accu- 
rately applying the inner bark of the cion to the inner bark 
of the stock, so that the sap may pass freely from the one 
to the other. They are therefore fitted together, and held 
fast by a bandage of strips of bast-matting. To lessen 
evaporation, a portion of ductile clay is moulded around 
the place of junction, and is retained until it appears, from 
the development of leaves, that the operation has succeeded. 
The best season for grafting is the month of March ; but it 
may be commenced as soon as the sap in the stock is fairly 
in motion, and may be continued during the first half of 
April. 

The most usual mode of grafting is called ivhip grafi- 

* Among these were Beurre Ranz, Marie Louise, Capiaumont, Napoleon, 
Delices d'Hardenpont, Passe Colmar, and some others, which hare acquired 
a high character in this country. 



PROPAGATION BY GRAFTING. 



47 



ingj or tongue grafting, a, b. The top of the stock and 
the base of the cion are cut off obliquely at corresponding 
angles, as nearly as can be guessed by the eye , the tip of 

Fig. 1. 





the stock is then cut off horizontally ; next a slit is made 
downwards in the centre of the sloping face of the stock, 



Fi2. 2. 





and a corresponding slit upwards in the corresponding face 
of the cion. The tongue or upper part of this sloping base 



48 FRUIT GARDEN. 

is then inserted into the cleft of the cion, and so adjusted 
that the inner bark may nnite neatly and exactly on one 
side. The junction is then tied up and covered with clay. 
Several other methods may be mentioned, such as cleft- 
grafting^ c, <i, e, in which the cion is sloped at the base, 
and inserted like a wedge into a cleft in the stock. Side- 
grafting^ (Fig- 2),/, g^ which resembles whip-grafting, but 
is performed on the side of the stock without heading it 
down. Crown-grafting^ in which the cions, w, p^ are in- 
serted between the bark and the wood of the stock. Graft- 
ing by approach^ or inarching^ resembling the whip-graft- 
ing, but the cion h remains attached to the parent plant, 
till its union at k and I with the new stock i be complete ; 
when that portion of the stock above the union may be 
headed down, and the cion at the same time detached from 
the parent plant. 

It is evident that the method of performing the opera- 
tion may be diversified to a great extent. The late M. 
Thouin, of Paris, described, in the Amiales dii Museum^ 
nearly fifty grejfes ; but little practical utility results from 
such nice distinctions. It is of great importance that the 
horticulturist should be expert in the manipulation of the 
more common forms, such as those above enumerated. An 
extensive fruit garden requires a frequent repetition of the 
operation, in order to secure proper kinds, and productive 
branches. At Dalkeith Park, the late Mr. Macdonald, the 
excellent head-gardener there, was in the practice of annual- 
ly inserting, on his established trees, numerous grafts, and 
by this means was enabled to overcome the disadvantages 
of a somewhat unfavorable situation, especially in regard 
to subsoil, and to obtain abundant crops of large and beau- 
tiful fruit. 

Root-grafting is performed in the modes just described, 



PROPAGATION BY BUDDING. 49 

only placing the cion on a piece of root (as a stalk,) of 
proper thickness, and having fibres and fibrils attached to 
it.. In the most unfavorable soils, some sort of fruit-trees 
thrive better than others ; and it has been suggested, that 
by using root-stocks of such flourishing trees, and grafting 
other desirable kinds on them, canker may often be avoid- 
ed, and the better kinds of fruit produced. 

Propagation by Budding. — Most kinds of fruit-trees 
may be propagated by budding ; and there are some, such 
as peaches and apricots, which can scarcely be multiplied 
in any other manner. It consists in removing a bud with 
a portion of the bark from one tree, and inserting it in a 
slit of the bark of another tree. I^he season for perform- 
ing this operation is in July or August, when the buds 
destined for the following year are completely formed in 
the axils of the leaves, and when the portion of bark parts 
freely from the wood beneath. The buds to be preferred 
are those on the middle of a young shoot. There are many 
forms of budding, but that which is simplest, and is gene- 
rally practiced in this country, called Shield-budding^ need 
alone be described. The operator should be provided with 
a budding-knife, in which the cutting edge of the blade is 
rounded off at the point, and which has a thin ivory or 
bone handle, like a paper-folder, for raising the bark of the 
stock. A horizontal or transverse incision is made in the 
bark quite down to the wood, and from this incision a per- 
pendicular slit is drawn downwards, to the extent of per- 
haps an inch. The slit (Fig. 3) has now a resemblance to 
the letter T, g ; a bud is then cut from the tree wished to 
be propagated, having a portion of the wood attached to it, 
so that the whole may be an inch and a half long, as at s. The 
bit of wood is then gently withdrawn, care being taken that the 

bud adhere wholly to the bark or shield, as it is called, as at r, 

3 



50 



FRUIT GARDEN, 



which is the reverse of s. The bark on each side of the 
perpendicular slit being cautiously opened with the handle 
of the knife, the bud and shield are inserted, as at t. The 



Fis. 3. 





upper tip of the shield is cut off horizontally, and brought 
neatly to fit the bark of the stock at the transverse incision. 
Slight ties of moist bast-matting are then applied. In 
about a month or six weeks the ligatures may be taken 
away, when, if the operation have been successful, the bud 
will be fresh and full, and the shield firmly united to the 
wood. Next spring a strong shoot is thrown out, and to 
this the stock is headed down in the course of the summer. 
Planting. — After propagation, the next care is to trans- 
fer the young trees to those places, whether in the open 
border or against the wall, where they are to remain ; and 
it is of importance that these situations should be consider- 
ably selected ; adapting the trees, according to their cha- 
racter and qualities, to sites suitable in respect of soil, 
shelter, and aspect. Planting may be performed at any 
time in the beginning of winter, or in the early spring 
months ; but it is considered that the most advantageous 
seasons are immediately after the fall of the leaf in autumn, 
and before the ascent of the sap in spring. The trees should 



PLANTING. 5 1 

"be cautiously lifted from the nursery lines, carefully guard* 
IBP' ao-ainst the mutilation or bruisine; of the roots : and, 
to prevent the desiccation of the fibres, they should be 
planted as soon as possible after being lifted. When they 
have to be carried to a distance, the roots should be en- 
veloped in damp hypnum-moss. In the ground, which is 
presumed to have been previously trenched or otherwise 
prepared, pits or holes are formed, and the soil is finely 
pulverized ; and in these the trees are placed, their roots 
being spread out and intermingled with the earth. Shal- 
low planting is strongly recommended ; two or three 
inches of soil being in general a sufficient covering. The 
doucin or French paradise stocks are preferable for this 
reason, that they throw out delicate fibres which readily 
spread along the surface, instead of bundles of hard roots 
which generally characterize crab stocks. On filling up 
the hole, a surface of at least an equal size is mulched^ 
that is, covered with dung or litter, so as to restrain 
evaporation, and preserve moisture. In the case of wall- 
trees, a space of five or six inches is usually left between 
the stem at the insertion of the roots and the wall, to allow 
for the efi"ects of growth. Young standard trees are tied 
to stakes, to prevent their roots being ruptured by the 
wind-waving of the stems. During the dry weather of the 
first summer, the trees should be watered from time to 
time as occasion may require. 

The selection and distribution of the difi'erent kinds of 
fruit-trees is an important and interesting point in the 
formation of a garden. Regard must necessarily be had 
to local situation and climate, as the selection ought man- 
ifestly to be dijfferent for a garden in the south-west of 
England, and for one in Yorkshire or in Scotland. The 
finer varieties of French and Flemish pears require and 



52 FRUIT GARDEN. 

deserve a good aspect, as also the early sorts of cherries. 
The later cherries, and the generality of plums, succeed 
very well either on an east or west aspect in Scotland : and 
here the raulherry requires the protection of a wall, and 
several of the finer apples do not arrive at perfection with- 
out it. 

The wall-trees which are intended to be permanent are 
called divarfs^ from their being grafted near the ground. 
Between each of these, trees with tall stems, called riders 
in Scotland, are planted as temporary occupants of the 
upper part of the wall. The riders should always be five 
or six years trained in the nursery, in order that when they 
are planted out they may come into bearing as speedily 
as possible. The distance at which the permanent trees 
are planted is to be regulated by the known mode of growth 
of the difierent sorts, and by the height of the wall. When 
the walls are about twelve feet high, the following average 
distances have been recommended: — For vines, 10 or 12 
feet; peach and nectarine-trees, from 15 to 20 feet; fig- 
trees, 20 feet at least; apricots, from 15 to 24 feet; plums 
and cherries, from 15 to 20 feet; pear-trees, 20 feet if on^ 
quince stocks, and 30 feet when on free stocks ; apple- 
trees, 12 feet if on paradise stocks, and 15 to 25 feet when 
on free stocks. Where the walls are only seven or eight 
feet high, the distance should be increased by nearly one- 
fourth, as in this case the want of height must be compen- 
sated by greater breadth. 

Apples and pears make the best espalier rail-trees, 
especially in Scotland. These should be of the more 
robust sorts, and should be planted at the distance of 15 
or 20 feet. Cherries and plums are sometimes introduced 
into the espalier rail-row, but these succeed in those situa- 



TRAINING OF STANDARDS. 63 

tions only where they would do equally well or bettor as 
standards. 

In many excellent gardens, dwarf standards are prefer- 
red to espalier rail-trees. They are placed along the inner 
borders at 8 or 10 feet apart. When proper attention is 
paid to such trees, the effect is very pleasing, each being in 
itself a handsome object, and generally clothed with fine 
fruit. Where the situation is warm, and the climate 
favorable, a few of such of the finer pear-trees as have 
hardy blossoms should be planted out in this form. Though 
they may fail to ripen their fruit in some seasons, they will 
often add greatly to the resources of the fruit-room, their 
produce being frequently superior in flavor to the pears 
grown against walls. 

Training. — Two functions belong to training — that, 
namely, which modifies the form of the trees, and that 
which regulates the bearing wood, and consequently the 
supply of blossom. The latter, more accurately termed 
pruning^ being of a varied character, adapted to the habits 
of the different kinds of fruit-trees, will more properly 
fall to be considered when treating of the peach, pear, 
plum, &c. ; at present we shall make a few remarks on the 
former. The essential properties of training are, that it 
should be simple, not requiring frequent amputation of 
large branches : that it should be appropriate to the growth 
of the tree, and such as to promote the production of fruit. 
The knife is the great instrument in training, and whoever 
can wield it skilfully will have a perfect command over his 
trees : at the same time, it may be laid down as a maxim, 
that it should be used with ^ome degree of reserve, as 
nothing is more prejudicial to the health and fruitfulness 
of all sorts of trees than severe and injudicious cutting. 

Training of Standards. — Orchard-trees are generally 



54 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



worked in tlie nurseries with stems five or six feet high. 
All that is necessary in pruning trees of this sort, is merely 
to cut out the branches which cross or press upon one 
another. Bushy heads should be thinned out, and those 
which are too lax cut back. Three or four leading branches 
may be selected, to pass ere long into boughs, and form a 
handsome skeleton for the tree ; but it is useless to be 
over-nice in this matter, as these branches will soon grow 
beyond the power or regulation of the pruner, and of any 
artificial system which he may adopt. Dwarf standards 
being more accessible, are more under the dominion of 
training. When worked on paradise stocks, they may be 
kept not much superior in size to gooseberry bushes, and 
in a state of abundant fruitfulness. The more fanciful 
Dutch modes of training apple-trees in the cup and the 



Fig. 4. 



Fig. 5. 





TRAINING. 55 

ball fashion, and after many otter curious devices, have 
never been relished in Britain. In this country they are 
generally allowed to grow en buisso?i, that is, as bushes. 
For Pears, the French forms, en pyramide^ or pyramid 
shape (Fig, 4), and en quenouilie^ or distaff shaped (Fig. 5), 
are justly gaining ground. 

Training of E&palier Kail- Trees. — The usual form is 
the horizontal; that is, from an upright stem, branches 
are led right and left along the rails. Some prefer having 
two stems, thus diverting the upright current of the sap 
into two eh&nnels, and producing a somewhat lower growth, 
which is favorable to fruitfulness. Espalier rail-trees have 
a uniform tendency to throw out a luxuriant crop of up- 
right summer shoots; and this is to be prevented by dis- 
budding, or rubbing off numerous buds, as they appear 
from April till June. Close well-placed spurs are encour- 
aged, as from these the fruit is expected. 

Training of Wall- Trees, — A fruit-tree planted against 
a wall is evidently in a constrained and artificial situation, 
from which it makes continual efforts to escape. Much 
attention is necessary to repress this tendency, which, were 
it permitted to act, would disfigure the tree, and neutralize 
the advantages of a wall, without imparting in their place 
the freedom of a standard in the open ground. To be 
successful, the operator should be acquainted with the 
theory of vegetation, should study the mode of growth in 
different trees, and, above all, remember the purpose of ail 
training, viz., the eliciting of bearing wood. 

One great difficulty is to preserve equilibrium in the 
growth of the several parts of the same tree : for the at- 
tainment of this object, excellent hints are to be found in 
the Pomone Franqais : we shall mention only two or 
three, A shoojfc will grow more vigorously whilst waving 



56 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



in the air than when nailed close to the wall ; a weak shoot 
should therefore be left free, whilst a stronger antagonist 
should be restrained. A shoot diverging only slightly 
from the perpendicular will, other things being equal, ob- 
tain a more copious supply of sap than one that is laid out 
horizontally, or is deflected downwards. A luxuriant 
shoot may be retarded for some time, by having its tender 
extremity pinched off, and a weaker brother thus allowed 
to overtake it. By these and other expedients, which will 
suggest themselves to an attentive horticulturist, and by 
the prudent use of the knife, it will be easy to execute the 
following forms, which, on account of their simplicity and 
general excellence, we select out of many to be found 
detailed in works on gardening. 

The Jiorizontal form (Fig. 6) has long been a favorite in 
this country, having been strongly recommended in the 
excellent work of Mr. Hitt.* There is one principal 
ascending stem, from which the branches depart at right 
angles, at intervals of ten inches or a foot. In order to 
produce this form, the vertical shoot is, in trees of ordi- 



Ficr. 6. 




"I'fft Jl^^l 






* Treatise on Fruit-Trees, by Thomas Hilt, 8vo. 1756. 



TRAINING. 



67 



nary vigor, cut back every winter to within fourteen inches 
of the highest pair of branches ; a number of shoots are 
produced in the beginning of each summer, out of which 
three are selected : one is trained in the original direction 
of the stem, and one on each side of it, parallel to the base 
of the wall. By pinching off the point of the leading 
shoot about midsummer, another pair may be obtained in 
autumn. In luxuriant trees, the vertical shoot may be 
left two feet in length, by which means, and by summer 
pruning, four pairs of branches may sometimes be added in 
one season. The great object, at first, ought to be to 
draw the stem upwards : when it has reached the top of 
the wall, it is made to devaricate into two, and the tree, 
thus completed as to its height, is henceforth suffered to 
increase in breadth only. Horizontal training is best 
adapted to those trees which produce strong shoots, as the 
Ribston Pippin apple, or the Gansel's Bergamot pear. 
For the more twiggy kinds, the form represented in Fig. 7 
is more suitable. In this the horizontal branches are 
eighteen or twenty inches distant, and the small shoots 
are trained in between them, either on both sides, as below 

a Fig. 7. h 




1^^:^=^^ 
"»*^-^ 



68 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



letter a in the figure, or on the under side and downwards 
as below b. This last is an excellent method of reclaim- 
ing neglected trees of this description. Every alternate 
branch being taken away, and the spurs cut off, the young 
shoots are trained in, and soon produce good fruit. It is 
rather singular that the late M. Thouin, in his account of 
the Ecole cP Horticulture practique du Museum, classes 
the horizontal form among les tallies heteroclites, and says, 
that, in consequence of its invariably producing a tete de 
saule, that is, a hedge of young shoots at the top, it has 
been long since abandoned. From this remark, we cannot 
help drawing the conclusion, that in France, the theory of 
training must be in advance x)f the practice. 

The other principal form is called /rm-training. In this 
there is no leading stem, and the branches are arranged 
somewhat like the spokes of a fan. Fig. 8 represents this 
shape as it commonly occurs in gardens. In the case of 
apple and pear-trees, this mode, though frequently adopted, 
is not superior, perhaps not even equal, to the horizontal 

Eis8. 




configuration : it is evident, that when the branches reach 
the top of the wall, where they must be cut short, a tUe 



TRAINING. 



59 



de saule is inevitable. It would be better to adopt the 
modification of the fan shape used for stone fruits (Fig. 9) ; 

Fig. 9 




to establish a certain number of mother branches, and on 
these to form a series of subordinate members, chiefly 
composed of bearing wood. The mother branches or 
limbs should not be numerous, but well marked, equal in 
strength, and regularly disposed. The side branches 
should be pretty abundant, short, and not so vigorous as 
to rival the leading members. To insure regularity, train- 
ing should commence with maiden plants, or such as have 
only one year's growth from the graft ; leaders of equal 
strength should be selected, and encouraged to grow out 
longitudinally as much as possible, and all crowding among 
the inferior shoots should be prevented. In riders, this 
form passes into the stellar arrangement. The French 
have made considerable improvements in this mode of 
training, some of which will be noticed under the article 
Peach. 

Intermediate between horizontal and fan-training is the 
half-fan, described in the first volume of the Caledonian 
Horticultural Society''s Memoirs, by Mr. Smith, gardener 



60 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



at Hopetoun-House, and practiced by him with great suc- 
cess. It is nearly allied to the horizontal form, but the 
branches form an acute angle with the stem, and this dispo- 
sition is supposed to favor the equal distribution of the sap. 
In the winter pruning, three and sometimes four central 
branches are cut back ; the shoots which arise from these 
are arranged in the fan order, and, as they elongate, are 
gradually brought into the horizontal position. The tree 
is finished at top as in the horizontal form. Sometimes, as 
in Fig. 10, two vertical stems are adopted. For vigorous 
trees, this figure seems to combine the advantages of both 
the foregoing varieties. 

Fig. 10. 



^•^ ji> - '>'' 






The choice of particular modes of training is too often 
determined by mere fashionable prejudice, which leads to 
the application of the same form to all sorts of trees. 
Thus the French are apt to reduce everything to the fan 
system, while some English horticulturists are inclined to 
force trees of the most rambling growth into the pillory of a 
horizontal arrangement. Such a uniformity cannot possi- 
bly be in accordance with nature. The enlightened culti- 
vator will employ various forms, and will determine for 



TRAINING. • 61 

himself which is the most appropriate, not only for every 
species, but even for each particular variety of fruit-tree. 
By attentive observation and rational experiment, more 
knowledge in this department may be attained in a few 
years than by a whole life spent in routine practice. 

As supplementary to the preceding remarks on training, 
some of the expedients for inducing a state of fruitfulness 
in trees may be mentioned. Of these, the most common is 
root-pruning, or the cutting back of the roots to within 
three or four feet of the stem ; an operation which is gene- 
rally found efficacious when barrenness proceeds from over- 
luxuriance and too copious a supply of sap. Another is, 
the lifting up of the roots carefully, spreading them out on 
the surface, and covering them with a layer of fresh soil, 
forming a slight mound, at the same time all naked or fibre- 
less roots being'cut out. To attain the same end, recourse 
is sometimes had to ringing the branches or stena^ that is, 
removing a narrow portion of the bark, so as to produce 
the appearance of an annular incision. The trees, it is said, 
are thereby not only rendered productive, but the quality of tho 
fruit is at the same time apparently improved. The advan- 
tage is considered as depending on the obstruction given to 
the descent of the sap, and it being thus more copiously 
afforded, in its elaborated state, for the supply of the buds. 
The ring should therefore be made in spring, and of such a 
width that the bark may remain separated for the season. 
It ought to be observed, however, that none of the stoned 
fruit-trees are benefitted by ringing. Analogous to this 
practice is decortication, or the removing of the old cracked 
bark from the stems of apple and pear-trees, a practice 
warmly recommended by the late Mr. Lyon of Edinburgh, 
and some other cultivators, but which has never been 
extensively adopted. Sometimes barrenness proceeds from 



62 FRUIT GARDEN. 

defect of climate and poverty of soil ; in which case a more 
sheltered situation and more generous treatment are the 
most effectual remedies. Fruit trees should never, if pos- 
sible, be allowed to become stunted ; for in this state they 
produce only worthless fruit, and acquire a habit which 
scarcely admits of melioration. 

Frotectio7i of Blossom. — In our variable climate, and 
particularly in the northern and eastern parts of the coun- 
try, it is very desirable that the horticulturist should be 
provided with the means of defending the blossom of his 
fruit-trees from the late frosts in spring. For this purpose 
some cultivators partially cover their walls with branches 
of spruce-fir or beech, or the fronds of the common hraken 
fern {Ptei'is aquilina)^ fastened firmly by several points of 
attachment, to prevent rubbing. Others recommend frames 
covered with bunting, osnaburgh or similar light fabrics, 
set in a sloping position in front of the trees. Screens 
formed of reeds have been used, and nettings of worsted- 
yarn or of straw-ropes have been employed with good eff"ect. 
Whatever contrivance serves to interrupt radiation, though 
it m.ay not keep the temperature much above freezing, will 
be found sufficient. Standard fruit-trees must be left to 
their fate, and, indeed, from the lateness of their flowering, 
they are generally more injured by blight, and by drench- 
ing rains, which wash away the pollen of the flowers, than 
by the direct efiects of cold. In not a few cases it is found 
very useful to promote the setting of blossom, by directly 
applying it to pollen from flowers of some other tree of the 
same species. 

Protectio7i of Fruit. — If the blossom requires to be 
guarded, equally so does the fruit, from the moment it be- 
gins to color till it be plucked for the table. Wasps and 
other insect enemies are often ensnared by means of phials 



CULTURE OF HARDY FRUITS. 63 

half filled with watery syrup, and hung upon the trees. 
Coverings of netting are employed to protect against the 
ravages of small birds : and this is preferable to shooting 
them ; for among these feathered enemies it must be con"» 
fessed with regret that not only the engaging Robin Red- 
breast but the melodious Blackbird fall to be numbered. 



CULTURE OF HARDY FRUITS. 

In proceeding to treat of the more special culture of the 
inmates of a British or American fruit garden, we shall begin 
with the more tender ; but for details regarding these, 
reference may, to a considerable extent, be made to the 
Forcing department, in. which alone many of the finer fruits 
can be perfected. 

The Grape Vine ( Vitis vinifera) can scarcely be said 
to be a hardy fruit in the English climate. In every case 
it requires a good aspect ; and north of York, a crop of des- 
sert grapes cannot be expected without the aid of a hot wall. 
In the extreme south-west districts of England, grapes fit 
for the manufacture of wine, perhaps equal in quality to 
those in the north of France, might be produced on dwarf 
standards; and there is abundant historical evidence 
that productive vineyards once existed in that part of the 
country. 

In the London Horticultural Society's Catalogue, 182 
varieties of grapes are enumerated. Some of those, how- 
ever, have not as yet been well ascertained ; some are pro- 
nounced indifferent, and others worthless. We shall name 
only a few of those most deserving the attention of the cul- 
tivator. 



64 FRUIT GARDEN. 

Miller^s Burgundy. — This sort is distinguished by the 
hoary bubescence of its leaves. It is a black grape, with 
short compact clusters, small round berries, and clear, high- 
flavored juice. It is hardy, ripening completely on a south 
wall. 

Black Damascus. — Bunches large, with round berries 
and exquisitely sweet juice. This desirable late variety 
does not set well, and the bunches are improved by the 
blossom being dusted with the pollen of some hardy 
kind. 

Frankenthal. — A valuable grape, nearly allied to the 
Black Hamburgh. Bunches moderate in size, berries obo- 
vate, flavor excellent. Although this is the kind which is 
commonly trained against the open wall in Holland, it 
seems to require a warm vinery in Scotland. 

Frontignan (or Frontignac). — Several varieties under 
this appellation, and distinguished by the names of black 
(or purple Constantia), grizzly., red., and the white, are 
mentioned by horticultural writers. They vary in color 
and form of the cluster. The berries are round, the skin 
thick, and the juice of a rich muscat flavor. They are all 
of high excellence. The white (often called white Con- 
stantia) is the most early. 

Black Gibraltar., or B.ed Hamburgh of Lindley. — This 
is an excellent grape, with large clusters and large dark red 
berries, full of a sweet juice. 

Black Hamburgh. — This is a well-known grape, of great 
value, and perhaps more generally cultivated for the dessert 
in this country than any other sort. It ought to be in every 
collection. 

Wilmofs New Hamburgh^ with remarkably large ber- 
ries, very firm in flesh, but the bunches small and loose, and 
not shouldered. 



GRAPE-VINE. 65 

Black Lombardy^ or West''s St. Peter'' s. — Bunches 
large, berries round, skin thin, with a sweet flavor ; an 
excellent late sort. The fruit will hang on the vines till 
March. 

Royal Muscadine, of the L. Hort. Cat. or White Mus- 
cadine of Lindley. The Chasselas of Paris. This, though 
not a first-rate grape, comes early, and is a favorite with 
many. Bunches large, berries white, round, with rich and 
sweet juice. 

Muscat of Alexandria. — Bunches long, and also broad- 
shouldered, berries white and oval, with a delicious, very 
rich, muscat flavor ; wood reddish-brown ; leaf large and 
pendulous. This most admirable variety requires a high 
temperature, and should properly have a small vinery for 
itself. 

The Canon Hall Muscat is a variety of the former ; 
similar in general appearance but with larger leaves ; clus- 
ter setting thinner and more regularly, berries rather 
longer and larger, flesh less firm, but rich flavored, and 
ripening fully a fortnight earlier. 

Fitmaston White Cluster. — This excellent variety 
sprang from a seed of the small black cluster grape. The 
bunch is compact ; the berry is round, when ripe of an 
amber color, bronzed with russet on one side. It comes to 
perfection on the open wall in England, and is also well 
suited for forcing. 

White Tokay. — The bunch is small and not shouldered ; 
the berries of a rich vinous flavor ; wood white ; leaf stiff 
and downy. 

Large White Siveetwater. — Bunch loose, berries round, 
flavor sweet. It ripens early, generally from the middle to 
the end of September ; and in the south of England it suc- 
ceeds against the open wall. The bunches should be 



66 FRUIT GARDEN. 

allowed to hang until the}-- be perfectly ripe, when the ber- 
ries acquire a slight russet color. It has long been a faAJ-or- 
ite grape. 

The Grove-End Siveetioater is early, and of good qual- 
ity ; the berries having a rich vinous flavor. It is the 
better for artificial impregnation. 

Stillward'S Sweetwater or Chnssclas j^recoce is a recent 
variety of considerable merit. It is desirable for earliness, 
and the bunches possess the property of keeping good on 
the plant for two or three months after the berries are 
ripe. 

Black Morillon or Burgundy Grape^ or Small Black 
Cluster, ripens in England against a south wall. 

The Black Prince is of easy cultivation, and the berries 
are of a pleasant flavor. 

The Zante, or CorintJi, Grape, is often called Zante 
Currant. In general it is a shy bearer, and the berries are 
small ; but Mr. Gow, gardener at TuUiallan, having ferti- 
lized some bunches with the pollen of the Black Hamburgh, 
found that they set more freely, and that the berries were 
larger and better flavored ; a hint worth attending to in 
other cases. 

The Verdelho has loose bunches, berries of a greenish- 
yellow color, small, oval, numerous ; when fully ripe, of a 
rich sacharine flavor. It is the principal grape cultivated 
in Madeira for making the celebrated wine of that island. 

o 

The plant grows vigorously ; and Mr. Knight has observed 
of it that the same degree of shade which would render the 
greater number of sorts wholly unproductive, scarcely 
aff"octs the fertility of this ; a convenient property, which 
adapts it for the back wall of a glazed-house. The same 
horticulturist mentions another economical property of the 
verdelho : it bears plentifully when planted in very small 



GRAPE VINE. 67 

pots ; a few pots of it may therefore be introduced among 
green-house plants in early spring; the almost leafless 
stems do no injury till the end of May, when some of the 
more hardy ornamental plants can be set abroad ; and dur- 
ing the warm months which follow, when the green-house 
is otherwise empty, abundant crops of these small grapes 
may be procured. 

The Esperione or Turner''s Early Black, has the 
bunches large and shouldered, not unlike those of the 
Black Hamburgh. The berries are of a fine dark color, 
with a bluish farina or bloom ; the pulp adheres to the 
skin ; and though neither highly flavored nor melting, it is 
very pleasant. This grape ripens on the open wall near 
London. 

The Syrian Grape is remarkable for the extraordinary 
size and beauty of its bunches ; it is a late variety, and 
the berries are sweet and not without flavor when properly 
ripened. This is generally regarded as the kind produced 
in the valley of Eshcol, a cluster of which was brought to 
the camp of Israel, swung on a staff between two of the 
spies; not probably on account of its weight, but (as Dr. 
Clarke observes) to prevent the berries from being bruised.* 

For an ordinary vinery, the following may be recom- 
mended-: Black Hamburgh, Red Hamburgh, Black Fron- 
tignan, Frankenthal, St. Peter's, White Frontignan, White 
Hamburgh, and White Tokay. For a stove or warm 
vinery may be particularized the Black Damascus, which 
sets shyly unless aided. Black Baisin, Grizzly Frontignan, 
Black Tripoli, Muscat of Alexandria, Canonhall Muscat, 
and Syrian. For training against the rafters of a green- 

* Bunches of the Syrian Grape have been raised in Syria weighing 40 lbs. ; 
but in the grape-houses of Europe and America they have seldom been 
brought to weigh over 10 lbs. to 19 lbs. 



68 FRUIT GARDEN. 

house, the Black Prince, Verdelho, Esperione, and Black 
Cluster, are perhaps among the best. 

The kinds commonly grown against the open wall in 
England are the Miller Burgundy, Esperione, White Mus- 
cadine, White Sweetwater, Early Black, Grove End, and 
Pitmaston White Cluster. In the North of England, and 
in the south of Scotland, vines always require hot walls. 
Against a hot wall, at Erskine House, on the Clyde, Black 
Hamburgh grapes "are every year produced equal in size and 
flavor to those of the vinery or hot-house. In some gardens 
an entire wall is dedicated to vines, but, in general, they oc- 
cupy only the interstices between other trees. Mr. Williams, 
of Pitmaston, trained a vine under the coping of a wall to the 
extent of fifty feet, and bent down the shoots at intervals 
to fill up the spaces between the fruit-trees, and he found 
that the grapes were better the farther they were distant 
from the main stem and root. The culture of grapes on a 
wall does not difier materially from that practiced in a 
moderately worked vinery; we shall therefore defer any 
farther observations till we resume the subject in treating 
of the forcing department. 

Mr. Mearns has, of late, recommended the culture of 
grape-vines in flower-pots, by coiling the lower part of the 
stems in the pots. When the plants can be subjected to a 
pretty high temperature, with bottom heat, some fine 
bunches may thus be procured from a very small stove, 
without materially interfering with ornamental exotics 
kept in the same place. 

These are the varieties of grapes which are considered 
most deserving of attention in England, where the culture 
of the vine is limited to the sheltered garden, and generally 
to the Grape-House or Vinery. Such, however, is the 
success with which skill can obviate the defects of natural 



GRAPE VINE. 69 

climate, that fruit of larger size and better flavor is pro- 
duced in English graperies than can be found in even the 
most highly favored climates where the fruit ripens in the 
open air. By the skillful application of artificial heat, 
ripe grapes in great perfection are produced in many vin* 
eries during every month in the year, in endless succession. 

The productiveness of the grape-vine may be increased 
to an almost unlimited extent, an example of which is 
furnished in the much celebrated Black Hamburgh vine in 
the grapery attached to the royal gardens at Hampton 
Court, which, in a single season, has produced 2200 bunches 
averaging a pound each, making in all nearly a ton.* 
Another vine in England, at Valentine in Essex, has pro- 
duced 2000 bunches of nearly the same average weight. 
It occupies above 147 square yards, whilst that at Hamp- 
ton Court is spread over 160 square yards, one of its 
branches measuring 114 feet in length. Where the climate 
and other circumstances are favorable, the age attained by 
grape-vines is almost unlimited. Pliny mentions one 600 
years old and still bearing in his time. 

Most of those who have attempted the cultivation in the 
United States of foreign grapes in the open air have met 
with discouraging results. The White Sweetwater and 
Black Hamburgh are almost the only varieties which will 
give crops in the open air in the Southern States, or in 
sheltered situations and gardens in the city of Philadelphia. 

Dr. R. T. Underbill, of New York, states that after 
having sunk thousands of dollars in attempts to raise the 
best foreign varieties of grapes in the open air, he has 
abandoned the project as visionary, and entirely devoted 

* This vine is sometimes called even in books a Red Hamburgh. But 
there is, in fact, no such particular variety of grape as the Red Hamburgh, 
that so called being strictly the Black Hamburgh imperfectly ripened. 



70 FRUIT GARDEN. 

his attention to the native kinds. An interesting com 
munication from him on this subject may be found in the 
Alhayiy Cultivator for January, 1843, in which he says 
that in the vicinity of New York, south of the highlands 
of the Hudson, he finds that the Isabella grape ripena 
quite as well when planted in a level field, protected from 
the north and west winds by woods or hedges, as on decliv- 
ities. " Several of my vineyards," he observes, " are thus 
located, and, as far as I can perceive, the fruit ripens at 
about the same time, and is of the same quality as those 
planted on steep side-hills. I think, however, that north 
of the highlands, side-hills would be preferable." 

A plan adopted by Mr. William Wilson, of Clermont, 
near Philadelphia, to secure his foreign grape-vines, grown 
in the open air, against the severe frosts of American win- 
ters, is well deserving of attention. The vines are left 
their whole length after they get their fall trimming in 
October, and in November are let down from their supports, 
laid on the ground at full length, fastened down with pins, 
and covered lightly with earth. In this state they are left 
all winter. In April, as soon as the weather will permit 
they are uncovered, and left lying on the ground ten or 
twelve days. About the first of May, they are trained to 
their stakes or poles, of the length of ten feet and upwards. 
By the middle of June the stakes are entirely covered by 
new shoots of the vine, and with plenty of fruit, which 
ripens in September. Before adopting this plan, Mr. Wil- 
son says his fruit was frequently blasted' and mildewed, but 
by its aid he has since succeeded in training vines twenty 
or thirty feet long, some of which ran up fruit-trees 
adjacent, whilst others, after attaining eight or ten feet in 
height, were stretched horizontally. He seldom gathered 
fruit within three or four feet of the ground, which was 



GRAPE-VINE. 71 

kept cultivated by frequent hoeing, and during ten years 
never applied manure. 

The main source of destruction to foreign grape-vines 
in the American climate appears to be not so much in the 
severity of the winter frosts as in the sudden return of cold 
spells. Foreign vines seem to commence the free circula- 
tion of their sap earlier than the native kinds, and thus are 
exposed to having their circulating juices frozen, to the 
certain destruction of the vines. 

In England the Vine-culture is limited to the produc- 
tion of a costly luxury for the tables of the wealthy. But 
in the United States the raising of the grape has for its 
object not only a supply of wholesome and delicious fruit 
for eating, but for the production of wine. It is, however, 
only within the last year or two that the efforts of those 
who have devoted attention to wine-making have met with 
decided and even brilliant success, and that the Cincinnati 
wine-makers have demonstrated the practicability of pro- 
ducing an American wine that will bear competition with 
some of the best of Europe. 

Among native American grapes yet brought into suc- 
cessful cultivation, the Isabella, as has been already stated, 
is the most hardy, and may be raised in the open air as far 
north as the St. Lawrence. It bears long, tapering 
bunches, with few shoulders, the berries being oval, jet- 
black, and covered with a j&ne bloom or white flower. The 
skin is thick, the flesh very sweet, though a little pulpy, 
with a slight musky flavor. The vine is of a brownish-red 
color, and very strong, the leaves being large and three- 
lobed, coated underneath with white down. The wine 
made from it is sometimes good, resembling light Madeira. 

The Cataiuba bears bunches rather regularly formed, 
with a few shoulders. The berries are round and of a cop- 



72 ' FAUIT GARDEN. 

pery-red color when ripe. The flesh is pulpy, though rather 
juicy, and the taste sweet, with a slight musky flavor. The 
leaves much resemble those of the Isabella, having a white 
down beneath, but being of a paler green and more re- 
flexed. Whilst it is perhaps the best native table-grape, it 
stands at present as the unrivaled wine-grape of the United 
States. Mr. Longworth, of Cincinnati, has ofi'ered $500 
reward to any one who will produce a better native variety. 
Several new seedlings of merit have been brought forward, 
none of which, however, have proved equal to the original 
Catawba. Mr. L. thinks the common Fox grape the parent 
of the Catawba. The wine produced from this grape is 
described as varying from a clear water-color to straw-color 
and pink, with a fine fruity flavor, and slightly musky rich 
aroma. By mixing the produce of the new vintage with 
that of an old, half and half, a superior sparkling wine is 
made, much resembling sparkling Moselle. It also makes 
a still wine resembling a dry hock. If Catawba grapes be 
thoroughly ripened, no sugar will be required in making 
the wine, whilst wine made from the Isabella, resembling a 
light Madeira, requires for the proper promotion of its 
fermentation the addition of from eighteen to twenty-four 
ounces of sugar to each gallon of juice, or "must." 

The Powell Gi-rape, called also the Alexandria, and 
Bland — in compliment to Mr. Bland of Alexandria, Va. , who 
first introduced it — is considered a hybrid, or cross between 
the Isabella and B. Hamburgh. It bears short bunches, 
having, when of good size, two or three shoulders. The 
berries are round and of a pale red color, with pulpy flesh 
of a sweetish, sub-acid taste, and a little of the musky or 
fox-grape flavor and character. The leaves are a pale 
green underneath, and rounder than those of the Isabella 
or Catawba. 



GRAPE-VINE, 73 

The Scupperno7ig of the Southern States enjoys great 
celebrity, both for its fruit and wine-making qualities. In 
North Carolina it thrives well, and bears most luxuriantly. 
Its origin is doubtful. The berries are very large and 
roundish, and grow on separate stems, like cherries. There 
are two kinds, called the white and black, from the color 
of the fruit. The light-colored are generally preferred. 

The Elsenhurg is a native of New Jersey, having 
small bunches, compact and shouldered. The berries are 
small, round, jet black, with a thin skin, no pulp, sweet, 
and well-flavored. The wood is slender and very hardy, 
the leaves five-lobed and thick. 

The Missouri is a native variety described by Mr. Bu- 
chanan, of Cincinnati, as bearing bunches loose and of me- 
dium size, with berries black, without pulp, having a sweet 
and agreeable flavor. He represents it as making an ex- 
cellent wine, somewhat resembling Madeira. 

The Clinton Grape from "Western New York, is early, 
hardy, small, black, pulpy, juicy, and of medium flavor. 

The White Catawba, a seedling from the Catawba, has 
been raised, but it proves far inferior to the parent. It 
has bunches of medium size, and shouldered, berries white, 
large, round and pulpy, tasting much like the fox grape. 

The Mammoth Catawba is another new seedling, re- 
sembling the Catawba in color, but not so well flavored. The 
bunches are large, shouldered, the berries very large, round 
pulpy, and in some seasons subject to fall ofi" before ripening. 

The Ohio or Cigar-box Grape, has been brought into 

notice by Mr. Longworth, of Cincinnati, as a fine table 

grape. Its bunches are long, compact, tapering and 

shouldered, the berries being small, black, thin-skinned, 

sweet, and without pulp. Seeds large. The wood is 

strong, but shorter jointed than that of either the Cataw* 

4 



74 FRUIT GARDEN, 

ba or Isabella. This is coiftidered a native American 
grape, and bears a strong resemblance to the Elsenberg^ 
but is bj no means so hardy. It makes a dark-red wine 
of inferior flavor when new, but improving by age. 

Pond's Seedling is a large, round purple grape, with a 
thin skin and rich pungent flavor, well adapted to the 
table, and promising to make good wine. 

The Herhemayit Grape, is a small, round, purple, sweet, 
juicy grape, without pulp, tender fleshy and makes a fair 
wine, common in Ohio. 

Norton's Virginia Seedling bears bunches of medium 
size, compact and shouldered, with berries small, purple, 
sweet, but with pulp. It makes an inferior wine. 

There are still other varieties of native American 
grapes enjoying more or less general celebrity. Among 
these are the Tasker, and the Schuylkill, which differ but 
little from each other. 

At the meetiDgs of the National Congress of Fruit-grow- 
ers, in 1854, the grapes recommended as of the first quality 
and best adapted to culture in the United States, were [un- 
der glass) Black Hamburgh, Black Prince, Black Frontig- 
nac. Grisly Frontignan, White Frontignan, White Muscat 
of Alexandria, and Chasselas de Fontainebleau • and of 
native Grapes adapted to the open air, the Isabella and 
the Catawba, and the Diana. 

The Diana, a seedling from the Catawba, has been 
brought forward lately as a native American grape of the 
first class. 

The Concord, a large, early, pleasant Grape has just 
been introduced in the vicinity of Boston, and promises to 
be an acquisition, especially where the Isabella and Cataw- 
ba ripen with difficulty. 

The chief aim of those who seek grapes adapted to 



GRAPE-VINE. 75 

wine-makiDg is to obtain such as at maturity possess sufl&- 
cient sugar in their juice to render the addition of either 
sugar or alcohol unnecessary for the future stages of the 
wine. 

The Catawba is, according the Cincinnati authorities, 
the only grape yet found in the U. S. which fulfils this 
great desideratum. Good wine is often made from other 
grapes — such for example as the Isabella and Scuppernong 
— but both these require the addition of considerable sugar 
to produce the requisite degree of fermentation. 

The following communication, made by Mr. Longworth 
to the Cincinnnati Horticultural society, contains much 
highly valuable information relative to the vine culture in 
the United States : — 

" I have for thirty years experimented on the foreign 
grape, both for the table and for wine. In the acclimation 
of plants I do not believe, for the White Sweet Water does 
not succeed as well with me as it did thirty years since. I 
obtained a large variety of French grapes from Mr. Lou- 
bat many years since. They were from the vicinity of Pa- 
ris and Bordeaux. From Madeira I obtained six thousand 
vines of their best wine grapes. Not one was found worthy 
of cultivation in this latitude, and were rooted from the 
vineyards. As a last experiment, I imported seven thou- 
sand vines from the mountains of Jura, in the vicinity of 
Salins, in France. At that point the vine region suddenly 
ends, and many vines are there cultivated on the north side 
of the mountain, where the ground is covered with snow 
the whole winter from three to four feet deep. Nearly all 
lived, and embraced about twenty varieties of the most cel- 
ebrated wine grapes of France. But after a trial of five 
years, all have been thrown away. I also imported sam- 
ples of wine made from all the grapes. ' One variety alone, 



76 FRUIT GARDEN. 

the celebrated Arbois wine, whicli partakes slightly of 
the Cliampagne character, would compete with our Ca- 
tawba. 

" If we intend cultivating the grape for wine, we must 
rely on our native grapes, and new varieties raised from 
their seed. If I could get my lease of life renewed for 
twenty or thirty years, I would devote my attention to the 
subject, and I would cross our best native varieties with the 
best table and wine grapes of Europe. We live in a great 
age. Discoveries are daily made that confound us, and we 
know not where we shall stop. We are told of experiments 
in mesmerism, as wonderful as the grinding-over system 
would be ; but I fear the discovery will not be brought to 
perfection in time to answer my purpose, and I must leave 
the subject with the young generation. 

" I have heretofore wanted faith in the doctrine of 
French horticulturists, that to improve your stock of pears 
you must not select the seed of the finest fruit, but of the 
natural choke pear. I am half converted to their views. 
The Catawba is clearly derived from the common Fox grape. 
In raising from its seed, even white ones are produced, but 
I have not seen one equal to the parent plant, and in all 
the white down on the under side of the leaf, and the 
hairs on the stalk, common to the wild Fox grape, are 
abundant." 

The same gentleman, in pointing out the evils of follow- 
ing practices in the United States which are highly advan- 
tageous in other countries, observes : — 

" In some parts of Europe, where their summers are cool, 
they find it necessary to shorten the leading branches in- 
tended to produce the next year's crop, and thin out the 
leaves, and head in the short branches, and fully expose the 
fruit to the sun and air to insure its ripening. This method 



GRAF>:;-VINE. 77 

in our hot climate is often bighly injurious to the plant and 
destructive to the fruit. If the heading-in of the leading 
shoots be done early in the season, the fruit buds of the 
following year are thrown out. As an experiment, I one year, 
by successive heading, had the fruit of four successive years 
on the plant at the same time, and the fall being favorable, 
the second crop ripened its fruit. Where the fruit branches 
are frequently topped, and the wood becomes ripe, the sap 
ceases to flow and the fruit cannot ripen. This is the case 
at the vineyard of Mr. Duhme. In our hot climate no 
more lateral branches should be taken from the main shoots 
intended for next year's fruit than to give them the neces- 
sary length. The fruit branches should be topped when in 
blossom beyond the second eye from the last blossom, and 
after that allowed to grow without topping. In our cli- 
mate, to ripen the fruit a portion of shade is necessary, for 
where there is growing young wood there is of course a full 
flow of sap to the fruit, without which it shrivels and 
drops off. 

'' This day I visited a German settlement on the Ohio, 
commencing about twelve miles above the city and extend- 
ing about four miles. The hill commences close to the 
river and rises gradually ; the usual bottom land being on 
the opposite side of the river. The soil is porous, and well 
calculated, in my opinion, for the cultivation of the grape, 
and nearly the whole of the four miles is occupied by vine- 
yards, and there are also some on the top of the hill. Two 
of the vineyards belong to Englishmen ; the owners of all 
the others are Germans. 

" Most of the vineyards in this vicinity (Cincinnati) have 
suff"ered severely from the rot, and some vine-dressers, ex- 
pecting in the early part of the season to make from 2000 
to 4000 gallons of wine, will not make 100. Yet their 



78 FRUIT GARDEN. 

vineyards are on the sides and tops of the hills, fully exposed 
to the sun and air. But the sub-soil is a stiff clay, reten- 
tive of moisture. These localities will, I fear, be always 
subject to rot, and yet the vinej^ards will be found more 
profitable than any other crop. To persons having a porous 
soil, I would recommend the cultivation of the Herbemont 
grape. It is a fine grape both for the table and for wine, 
and perfectly hardy. It makes wine of superior quality, 
similar to the Spanish Manzanilla, or Mansinsella, as it is 
generally pronounced. This grape has a soft pulp, and re- 
sembles the best foreign table grapes. Lick Run, in our 
immediate vicinity, will make one of the most beautiful 
rural spots in the world. It will soon be a continuous line 
of vineyards. I wish some of our poets would visit it in 
May or June, and give it a more beautiful and appropriate 
name. They may rack their brains for months, and not 
find one worthy of the scene. It is different on Mount Ad- 
ams, which is in a double sense in connection with the 
heavens — its height and proximity to the great Telescope 
of Professor Mitchel. The highest street is called Celes- 
tial Street. Commanding as the view is, the name surely 
equals it. 

" I have just returned from a visit to the vineyard of 
Mr. Langdon, on the bottom of the Little Miami, eight 
miles above the city, in a sandy soil. That porous soil is 
not subject to the rot in grapes is exemplified here. His 
misfortune is, in fact, too large a crop of fruit, an unusual 
complaint this season. Yet he will have a poor vintage, 
arising from two causes, which prevent the fruit from ripen- 
ing. The first and least cause is too much fruit, from leav- 
ing too much bearing wood, There was more than the 
vine could give a supply of sap for, in a favorable season. 
The second and great cause is the same as at the vineyard 



GRAPE-VINE. 79 

of Mr. Duhme. The fruit has no shade, few leaves, and 
but little young wood on the fruit branches to carry sap to 
the grapes to ripen them. The wood is life, and the circu- 
lation of the sap stopped. Not one-fourth of the grapes will 
ripen perfect, many of them shrivel and drop, and many of 
them scarcely change color. A favorable fall will aid them. 

" I observed in the vineyard of Mr. Langdon that the 
Catawba vine is much closer jointed than in our richer 
land, where there is a sub-soil of clay; and one of my 
Oerman vine-dressers assured me this is always the case. 
This would indicate an increased crop, and the change 
probably depends on the richness of the soil. An impor- 
tant inquiry is, Will the grape in a sandy soil yield an 
equal amount of sugar ? I wish our vine-dressers to 
direct their attention to this subject. In some of our 
vineyards, they have both soils, and the question will bo 
easily decided. The color of the Catawba grape is no cer- 
tain evidence of its ripeness and richness. They are often 
of unusual dark color this season, yet the juice has one- 
eighth less sugar." 

Robert Buchanan, Esq., a highly intelligent and suc- 
cessful vine-culturist and wine-maker, of Cincinnati, has 
lately favored the public with a short but very compre- 
hensive " Treatise on the Cultivation of the Grape in Vine- 
yards^'' in which he mentions the varieties of grapes chiefly 
raised near Cincinnati, the characteristics of the wine made 
from them, and modes of culture pursued. This publica- 
tion, coming from one so intelligent and well qualified by 
experience in the- vine culture and wine making, will be 
found to convey the most opportune and valuable instruc- 
tion to all interested in the subject. 

Propagating the Vine by Cuttings and Layers. — Mr. 
Uuchanan says, that in the vicinity of Cincinnati the most 



so PRUIT GARDEN. 

common way of propagating the vine is by means of cut- 
tings, which may be made a foot or more long, with a por- 
tion of two year old wood attached. Or they may be 
shortened to only one or two buds or eyes. Sometimes, 
instead of covering only the lower end of the cutting, and 
leaving one or more eyes above the soil, the piece of vine 
is all covered under, a practice called cultivating by layers. 
Plants raised from cuttings are generally preferred. These 
should be selected a year before they are wanted, and 
transferred to very large pots, by which means they will 
be made strong rooted and vigorous. 

Another mode of raising from layers is to bend down a 
vine or shoot into a hole dug about four inches deep, and 
cover it up firmly with earth, leaving the growing extrem- 
ity outside. In dry weather, occasional waterings will be 
necessary. In the month of November, the layer will be 
found to have taken sufficient root to admit of being sepa- 
rated from the parent vine and planted wherever desired. 
It should be cut down so as to show about two eyes above 
the ground, only one of which should be allowed to grow 
the first year. 

Grafting is sometimes resorted to, either on the stock 
above ground, or on the main root just below the ground. 
This succeeds best when the cion has been kept in a cool 
place aM kept back. Either whip, tongue, or wedge-graft- 
ing may be adopted. 

Grafting of the Grape-vine. — One of the newest prac- 
tices in horticulture is the grafting of the grape-vine with 
detached cions, as introduced by Mr. William Gowans, the 
judicious gardener at Cadder House, near Glasgow. It 
has been found perfectly successful, and very convenient, 
by some of the most distinguished practical horticulturists 
in Scotland — Mr. Macdonald at Dalkeith, Mr. Smith at 



GRAPE-VINE. 81 

Hopetoun, and Mr. Sbiels at Erskine. It seems proper, 
therefore, to describe minutely the mode of performing the 
operation. 

The distinctive feature of the method is, that it avoids 
the usual mode of grafting vines by approach, with all its 
inconvenient restraints, and substitutes a simple scheme 
of grafting by detached cions. The following are the 
directions given by Mr. Gowans himself, which will be 
rendered plain by looking at the annexed sketch : " Select 

Fig. 11. 




a cion with one eye, and cut it in the form of a wedge. 
For a stock, select a shoot h of the preceding year, about 
the same thickness as the cion, and cut it over a little 
above the second eye from the old wood. With a sharp 
knife cut it down the centre nearly to the old wood. Out 
of the centre, pare with a pen-knife as much as is neces- 
sary to make it fit the cuts on the side of the cion. Then 
insert the cion a with its eye opposite to that on the top 
of the stock. Tie it up and clay it over in the usual 
manner, with this difference, that you cover nearly the 
whole of the cion with the clay, leaving only small holes 
for the eyes. Tie some hypnum-moss upon the clay, upon 



82 FRUIT GARDEN. 

which sprinkle a little water occasionally to keep the whole 
in a moist state for some time. What is of essential 
importance to success in this method is the leaving of the 
eye or young shoot on the top of the stock, and allowing 
it to grow for ten or fourteen days, when it should be cut 
off, leaving only one eye and one leaf to draw sap to the 
cion, till it be fairly united to the stock. With regard to 
the time of grafting, it will succeed pretty well when the 
stocks are about to break into leaf. But there is more 
certainty of success when the shoots of the stock have 
made four or five eyes of new wood, for by this time the 
sap has begun to flow freely, and the danger of bleeding is 
over." 

It is evident, that by this mode of grafting vines, many 
different kinds of grapes may be tried in the course of 
three or four years, even in a very limited vinery, and the 
best and most successful retained in cultivation. 

A mode of propagating which is thought to produce the 
finest plants for fruiting of all others, is that by the single 
eye. This is generally done early in February or March, 
by cutting the wood of the preceding year's growth, so as 
to have but one eye on each piece, leaving about an inch 
of wood on each side of the eye. These sections are to be 
planted in pots with suitable mould, one to every pot, and 
placed under glass, in either hot or cold frames, or in the 
window of a warm room, and carefully watered. By con- 
stant repotting and watering with liquid manure, they may 
be made to grow ten or twelve feet the first year. One of 
the advantages ascribed to vines raised thus from single 
eyes, is that of having shorter joints, which renders them 
capable of producing a larger amount of fruit 

Planting Out. — When the vines raised in pots or other- 
wise are to be transplanted, the months generally preferred 



CRAPE-VINE, 83 

are October and November in autumn, and in the spring 
March and April. In ground properly prepared, a hole 
is to be dug about eighteen inches deep, and wide enough 
at bottom to allow the roots to spread out to their fullest 
extent without binding. Any that appear broken or dis- 
eased should be cut off. The side roots should be covered 
shallow, and fine earth, or what is far better, rich compost 
or vegetable mould added so as to fill up the hole. Then 
pour in three or four gallons of water, after the sinking of 
which more earth is to be added, and pressed down gently 
with the foot. During the first season's growth all the 
side shoots are to be pruned, so as to leave but two eyes 
€n each. 

In yards and gardens, along walls, fences, or open bor- 
ders, low training may be adopted wherever there is suffi- 
cient room. Vines may be conducted horizontally, so as 
to extend a great distance under the projecting edges or 
copings of a wall or close fence, especially where these face 
the east. In cities they may be taken up from close and 
gloomy yards to the tops of houses, three or four stories 
high, and there spread out upon arbors, and exposed to the 
influences of the sun and air, so as to be made produce 
abundance of delightful fruit. Or, they may be trained 
low like currant bushes, three, four, or more shoots being 
allowed to grow eighteen inches or two feet above the 
ground to give an annual supply of young bearing-wood. 

American fence-rows would seem to offer a peculiarly fine 
situation for the grape-culture, the posts and rails offering 
such admirable means of support. To what great profit 
might the immense amount of land be put which is now 
taken up by fences and entirely lost to culture, and this 
too without injury to the regular grain crops from shading ? ^ 
Intelligent farmers would do well to adopt a course which 



84 FRUIT GARDEN. 

would not only supply their families with abundance of 
wholesome fruit, but afford a source of regular profit. 

When vines are trained as standards, according to the 
practice pursued in Northern France or Germany, the main 
stalk or stem is not allowed to be over six or eight inches 
high. From this, two or three shoots are trained by being 
tied to a stake three or four feet high. These shoots will 
produce two or three bunches each, within a foot or eigh- 
teen inches of the ground, and they will be succeeded an- 
nually by others springing from the crown or top of the 
dwarf main stem. In Southern Europe the base or main 
stem is often left higher, and its side shoots secured to 
poles many feet high. 

Pru7iing. — This is done at two distinct periods ; what 
is called Summer Pruning consists in pinching off the 
shoots having no fruit, or such as are not required for the 
succeeding year. The fruit bearing shoots, as well as those 
left for succeeding seasons, must also be topped. 

The Winter Pruning consists in trimming off all the 
wood that has borne, and shortening the new bearing wood 
for next year, to three or four eyes in cold situations, and 
to six or eight in warmer exposures. 

Soil. — In almost any good deep and dry soil, the grape- 
vine will thrive. Where the soil is shallow, very dry and 
gravelly, the produce will be less in quantity, but of better 
flavor than that raised on rich and deep ground. 

Manures for Grape- Vines. — Dr. Liebig refers to in- 
stances where vines have been maintained in a productive 
condition for twenty to thirty years, by simply returning 
to them their leaves and trimmings, the last being cut into 
small pieces and dug into the soil by means of a spade or 
hoe. Some manures favor the growth of wood and foliage 
rather than fruit. High manuring will generally have this 



GRAPE-VINE. 85 

effect, a rule which is applicable to all other plants or trees. 
Hence, the judicious selection and application of manures 
are important matters. Ground bones, horn shavings, old 
woolen rags, the dust and dirt from paved roads and streets, 
perfectly rotted stable manure, poudrette, are some of the 
best. 

To believe that the vine will continue to bear to all 
time, with no other nourishment than it receives from its 
own refuse, is inconsistent with the revelations of recent 
scientific researches. Organic chemistry shows us what 
the fruit extracts from the soil, among which are large pro- 
portions of phosphate of lime and potash. A portion of 
the last may be restored by the return of the trimmings 
and leaves. But ultimately the potash required by the 
vine must be exhausted wherever there is not a granitic 
soil to furnish it, by the decomposition of its felspar or 
mica. As to the phosphate of lime taken away with the 
fruit, scarcely any portion of which is returned by the vine- 
wood and leaves, this must be supplied to the vine in some 
form, or otherwise its productiveness must be very limited. 

Management of the Vine under Glass. — The vines may 
be planted either on the inside or outside of the grapery, 
to correspond with the rafters to which they are to be 
trained. When on the outside, a bank of earth is to be 
raised over the roots, and the vines brought under the 
outer wall through appropriate notches. 

Training and Fruning. — The main stems are to be cut 
off even with the bottom of the glass, and two shoots al- 
lowed to start from it the first season, and if any fruit ap- 
pears, one bunch may be allowed to grow on the strongest 
shoot. Train the shoots up the rafters as high as they will 
go, but do not top them when a third or half way up, as 
some have advised. The succeeding winter lay the strong- 



86 FRUIT GARDEN. 

est shoot within two or three feet of the past season's 
growth, cutting the weakest shoot to within one eye of 
the preceding season's growth. The strongest stem may 
have ten or twelve eyes all producing fruit, of which one 
bunch may be allowed to each eye. The weakest branch 
left without any fruit may be permitted to grow as much 
as it will. The second winter cut back the strong shoot 
to within two eyes of the old wood, and allow one shoot to 
grow from it. One shoot is to be trained without fruit for 
next season's crop. Four shoots may be finally left on the 
vine, one-half of which may be allowed to bear every year, 
the other two being cut back for fruiting the following 
season. This is commonly termed the long cane system^ 
aud is regarded as the most simple and very best method of 
pruning followed in the United States. 

Pruning consists of lointer pruning and summer prun- 
ing^ operations very different from each other. What is 
commonly styled the Spur system of traitiing and pruning 
is managed as follows : Allow each stem to extend the 
whole height of the house, and if the first year it does not 
attain the size of three inches round, it is to be cut back 
and allowed another year's growth. Should it attain more 
than three inches in circumference, it must be regarded as 
too strong, and cut down to within about four feet of the 
old wood. Young spurs will put out to bear fruit, and 
one bunch may be taken from each, the growth of each spur 
being stopped two eyes above the bunches. These spurs 
are cut back at each winter pruning, so as to leave two or 
three eyes on each. These again sending out spurs, ono 
bunch is to be taken from each, and so continue from year 
to year. Never take more than one bunch from a single 
eye. 

Hoare, in his excellent treatise upon the vine, has re- 



GRAPE-VINE. 



87 



duced to a scale its bearing capacities at certain stages of 
its growth. The greatest quantity of grapes which any 
vine can mature^ in proportion to the circumference of its 
stem or base measured three inches above the ground, is as 
follows : — 

When 3 inches in circumference 
3 1-2" 



5 
10 
15 
20 
36 
45 
55 
65 
75 



lbs. 



The Aututnnal Trunmg or Training should take place 
immediately after the falling of the leaves, and the wood 
of the year just finished should never be trimmed back to 
but one eye, instead of which a long spur of three eyes 
must be left, since one or more may be defective. The 
surplus eyes can be rubbed off after securing the setting of 
the fruit during the earliest stage of its growth the ensuing 
season. 

In Summer Pruning^ every shoot must be stopped two 
leaves above the bunch, after which new lateral shoots will 
soon be produced. These again must be stopped by pinch- 
ing off about every fortnight, to preserve the strength of 
the plant for the perfection of the fruit. 

High training is generally pursued from observing that 
the most vigorous shoots and best fruit are usually found 
at the extremities of the branches, especially those situated 
highest. It has been observed that native vines seldom or 
never throw out bearing shoots before reaching the tops of 
trees on which they seek support, when the branches gener- 
ally assume a horizontal direction. 



88 FRUIT GARDEN. 

By far the most of the foreign grapes raised in the 
United States, under glass, are brought forward without 
fire-heat; the sun's rays, when properly taken advantage 
of, being sufficient to produce maturity in almost every 
variety. The routine of the grape-house culture without 
fire-heat is as follows : The vines which had been trimmed, 
and perhaps laid down in the beginning of winter, should 
be raised up and washed with strong soapsuds, to which 
some tobacco decoction may be added. They should have 
all the rough bark removed, and cleaned thoroughly, after 
which they may be tied up in their proper places. After 
they put out, they should be syringed with water about an 
hour after sunrise every morning, should the sashes be on 
the house. After the fruit has set, the vines may be 
syringed every afternoon, the house being previously shut 
up, not to be re-opened till the sun has warmed up the air 
next day, usually about nine or ten o'clock, at which time 
the top sashes may be let down to admit air, and the ther- 
mometer not allowed to rise above ninety or one hundred 
degrees. When the fruit attains the size of peas, the 
syringing is discontinued by some, whilst by others it is 
kept up till the grapes begin to change color. 

As the season advances, and during the sultry days of 
July and August, mildew is to be looked for, and may be 
readily recognized by the yellowish and sickly transpa- 
rency of the leaves, which have a soft and greasy feel. 
The destruction wrought through mildew is often so rapid 
and extensive that where the least signs appear, the most 
prompt measures should be taken to check its extension. 
Copious syringing with water, twice a day, is recommended 
as one of the best remedies, allowing the freest possible 
circulation of the air from ten to three o'clock, if the sun 
shines. When the disease has made considerable progress, 



GRAPE-VINE. 89 

flour of sulphur may be added to the water with which the 
syringing is effected. Four gallons of boiling water 
may be poured over five pounds of the sulphur, and 
after it has been well stirred and allowed to settle, a 
gallon of this water may be added to that commonly 
made use of in syringing. Never allow cold draughts 
of air through open doors, &c., to pass immediately 
among the vines. After stopping syringing, the roots 
should be watered every week. 

Pruning. — Most of the pruning required in summer 
may be performed without a knife, the shoots being so ten- 
der as to be readily pinched off by the fingers. Select the 
shoots which are to be trained for the next year's crop, 
and others necessary for filling the trellis from the bottom. 
These shoots should be generally from twelve to fifteen 
inches apart. All those between, and having no clusters, 
are to be removed ; and those left, and having clusters, 
are to be shortened so as to leave one joint above the 
uppermost cluster. To effect this properly, the vines, 
when first showing their fruit, should be gone over every 
three or four days till all the shoots have shown their 
clusters. 

Thinning mid sjjreading. — Those who desire to have 
the very largest and best fruit that can be raised from the 
vine, must resort to the practice of thinning out a portion, 
whilst yet green and about the size of garden peas. This 
is done by cutting off with narrow-pointed scissors, from 
one-fourth to a third of the berries. The grapes left will 
thus have room to swell freely, and though reduced in 
numbers, will be the same in weight, as if all had been left 
on. The bunches of the large-growing kinds will be pro- 
tected from the effects of damp, or mouldiness, by having 
their shoulders spread out and suspended to the trellis or 



90 FRUIT GARDEN. 

branches, by strands of fresh matting. If they appear 
crowded before they begin to color, some berries may still 
be clipped off, but care must be observed not to touch 
them after coloring, for fear of rubbing off some of the 
bloom which constitutes so much of their beauty. 

Any person having a green-house for the protection of 
tender plants and exotics, can, with little or no additional 
expense, manage to make it secure him every year a crop of 
the finest kinds of foreign grapes. The vines may be planted 
outside near the front wall, in the lower part of which open- 
ings are to be left in the brick or wood-work, to permit the 
vines to be passed or drawn out. As soon as the weather will 
admit the plants to be exposed to the open air, the vines may 
be passed into the house and attached to the rafters or 
other supports, where they are to be trained and treated 
according to the rules laid down for their management. 
In the fall, the ripe grapes may be taken off, the vines 
trimmed, withdrawn from the house, and properly bound 
up and secured against the frosts of winter. Meantime, 
the hot-house plants are enjoying their appropriate places 
of protection. 

Much useful information relating to the proper manage- 
ment of vines in graperies will be found under the head of 
Pruning and Training^ when describing the operations 
of the forcing garden. 

The Fig-Tree (Ficus Carica) is not a great favorite in 
Britain, the fresh fruit not being much relished, and the 
tables being supplied with a vast abundance of dried figs 
imported from the Mediterranean countries. Every good 
garden ought, however, to contain a few trees, to furnish 
an occasional dish ; and we doubt not that the fresh fruit, 

if it were more common and better grown, would be more 

5* 



FIG-TREE. 91 

liked. The foliage of the tree is large and elegant, and 
the mode of fructification is curious ; the pulpy part, which 
we call the fruit, being, in fact, a common receptacle, and 
the anthers and stigmata being produced inside. The 
nomenclature of figs is still very uncertain, and it is with 
some hesitation that we give the following names : 

1. Black Ischia. 5. Brown Turkey. 

2. Black Genoa. 6. Pregussata. 

3. Brunswick or Madonna. 7. Lee's Perpetual. 

4. Brown Ischia or Miller's chest- 8. Early White. 

nut fig. 9. Marseilles or Figue Blanche. 

Of these the Marseilles, the Early White, Black Ischia, 
and Brown Turkey, are the best adapted for forcing; the 
others are suitable for walls. Lee's Perpetual answers 
well for either mode of culture ; but is not recognized by 
Loudon or by Lindley as a distinct variety. 

Fig-trees may be propagated by cuttings put into flower- 
pots, and placed in a gentle hot-bed. They are, however, 
most speedily obtained from layers. The shoots laid down 
should be two or three years old ; and those when rooted 
will form plants ready to bear fruit the first or second 
year after planting. Suckers ought never to be used. 

In some places in England, fig-trees are planted out as 
standards ; and in Kent and Sussex, a few small fig orch- 
ards exist. In Scotland, a south wall is indispensable, 
trained to which, in good situations, and when the trees 
are old enough, they bear remarkably well. The best soil 
for a fig border is a rich friable loam, on a subsoil not re- 
tentive of moisture, or which has been efi'ectually drained. 
It is advantageous to have a lofty wall, and the trees 
should be planted at considerable distances, perhaps not 
nearer than forty feet, to allow them full space to exhaust 
their luxuriance. 



92 FRUIT GARDEN. 

It is of the nature of the fig-tree to produce two sets of 
shoots and two crops of fruit in the season. The first 
shoots generally show young figs in July and August, but 
these in the English climate very seldom ripen. The late 
or midsummer shoots likewise put forth fruit-buds, which, 
however, do not develop themselves till the following 
spring, and then form the only crop of figs on which we can 
depend in Britain. 

Various modes of training fig-trees have been proposed. 
Mr. Lindley recommends the horizontal form. Mr. Knight 
carries up a central stem perpendicularly to the top of the 
wall, and then radiates the side-branches horizontally and 
pendentl}^, in close contact with the wall. Luxuriance of 
growth is supposed thus to be checked, and the branches 
thrown into a bearing habit. The finest fig-trees which 
we have seen in Scotland are trained in the old fan form. 
The shoots are laid in, thinly, at full length, and en- 
couraged to extend themselves as fast as possible, precau- 
tion, however, being taken to leave no part of the tree bare 
of young wood. Much of the pruning is performed in 
summer by pinching ofi" unnecessary shoots, and the knife 
is seldom employed, except in removing naked branches, or 
in cutting back to procure a supply of young wood. Some 
cultivators break ofi" the points of the spring shoots, in or- 
der to produce laterals, but this must be done at an earlier 
period, not later perhaps than midsummer, otherwise the 
young shoots will not ripen. The Rev. Gr. Swayne recom- 
mends rubbing off all the young figs which appear in autumn 
on shoots of the same year, observing that for every young 
fig thus displaced the rudiments of one, or perhaps two 
others, are formed before winter, and developed in the fol- 
lowing year.* 

* It is a proverb in fig culture that " the more you prime the less you 
crop." 



FIG-TREE. ■ 93 

The winter dressing of the fig-tree takes place immedi- 
ately after the fall of the leaf. The immature figs which 
may remain are removed, irregularities are corrected, and 
the shoots nailed neatly to the wall. Various modes of 
protecting the branches during winter have been adopted. 
At Argenteuil, where figs are cultivated on standards for 
the Paris market, the lower branches are bent downwards, 
and buried about six inches deep in the soil ; while the up- 
per branches are tied together, and bound round with straw 
and litter. Mr. Swayne mentions that he wraps up the 
young shoots with waste paper. Mr. Forsyth recommends 
covering wall fig-trees with the spray of laurel or yew, and 
then tucking in short grass or moss {hypnum) among the 
spray. Mr. Smith, first at Ormiston Hall, and afterwards 
at Hopetoun House, has found (Cal. Hort. Soc. Mem., 
vol. ii.) a covering of spruce-fir branches to be very efifec- 
tual. The branches are so placed as to overlap each other, 
and to form a layer nearly equally thick on every part of 
the tree. The foliage of the spruce branches remains green 
till March, and as the light and heat increase, the dried 
leaves gradually fall ofi", and admit air and sun to the fig 
branches below. 

Mr. Monk {Lond. Hort. Trans., vol. v.) states that the 
same fig-tree seldom produces fruit containing both perfect 
stamens and pistils, and conjectures that this is the cause 
of the fruit being so often prematurely shed. Caprifica- 
tion, or assisting the fructifying and maturation of figs, 
has often been sneered at ; but here we see reason in that 
kind of it which consisted in hanging or shaking the 
branches of the wild fig [cap7'ijicus) over the cultivated tree 
at the time when both were in blossom. 

" There is something very singular in the fructification 
of the fig ; it has no visible flower, for the fruit arises im- 



94 FRUIT GARDEN. 

mediately from tlie joints of the tree, in the form of little 
buds, with a perforation at the end, but not opening or 
showing anything like petals or the ordinary parts of fruc- 
tification. As the fig enlarges, the flower comes to maturity 
in concealment, and in eastern countries the fruit is im- 
proved by a singular operation called caprijication. This 
is performed by suspending by threads, above the cultivated 
figs, branches of the wild fig, which are full of a species of 
cynips. When the insect has become winged, it quits the 
wild fig and penetrates the cultivated ones, for the purpose 
of laying its eggs ; and thus it appears both to insure the 
fructification by dispersing the pollen, and afterwards to 
hasten the ripening by puncturing the pulp and causing a 
change of the nutritious juices. In France this operation 
is imitated by inserting straws dipped in olive-oil." — lAh. 
of Ent. Knowledge. 

The Peach (Amygdalus Persica) is a stone-fruit of 
oriental origin, said to have been brought from Persia by 
the Romans about the beginning of the empire ; but the 
precise period of its introduction into our British gardens, 
of which it has long been the pride and ornament, is not 
well ascertained. There are two principal varieties : the 
Peach, properly so called, with a downy skin; and the 
Nectarine, with a smooth skin. These, following the 
authority of Linnaeus, we consider as one species ; and as 
their culture is precisely the same, we shall speak of them 
as distinct only when referring to their sub-varieties. Each 
of these varieties is again divided by gardeners into free- 
stones or peches, and clingstones or pavies, according as 
the stone parts freely from the pulp or adheres to it. We 
shall here treat chiefly of the freestones, as being most 
hardy and fittest for the open wall in Britain. 



THE PEACH. 95 

Mr. George Lindley, whose arrangement is the best that 
has hitherto been published, enumerates 60 kinds of 
peaches and 28 of nectarines. In the Horticultural 
Society's Catalogue the names of 183 peaches, and of 65 
nectarines, are recorded. We doubt not but that in 
America, where the trees are commonly raised from kernels, 
and grown as standards, endless varieties and sub-varieties 
might be collected. To enumerate even the limited number 
existing in Britain would far exceed our limits ; we shall, 
therefore, notice only a few of those which are most distinct 
and best adapted to the English climate. 

PEACHES. 

Red Nutmeg^ or Avant rouge of the French. — This is 
one of the earliest peaches, ripening in England about the 
beginning of August. The fruit small ; color pale yellow 
towards the wall, bright vermillion next the sun ; pulp 
white, but red at the core ; the juice rich and musky. The 
tree is an abundant bearer. 

Grosse Mignomie, L. Hort. Cat., or NeiPs Early Pur- 
ple. — Fruit large ; skin pale yellow, and deep purple next 
the sun ; flesh melting ; juice plentiful, and of delicious 
flavor. The tree is a good bearer, and forces well, but the 
fruit does not bear carriage. It ripens in the end of Au- 
gust and beginning of September. 

Madeleine de C our son ; Red Magdalen of Miller. — - 
Blossoms large ; fruit rather below the middle size ; color 
yellowish-white next the wall, beautiful red next the sun ] 
flesh white, with very little red at the stone ; juice rich and 
vinous. Tree a good bearer ; fruit ripening about the be- 
ginning of September. " An excellent peach," says Mr. 
Lindley, " and ought to be found in every collection." 



96 FRUIT GARDEN. 

Royal George. — This is a well-known peach, much cul- 
tivated. Bj nurserymen it is often given out under the 
name of Red Magdalen ; but the blossoms are small, while 
those of the Magdalen are large. Against a good wall the 
fruit often ripens in the beginning of September, and even 
in indifferent seasons by the middle of that month. Fruit 
large, purplish-red next the sun, whitish where shaded ; 
flesh white, varied with red next the stone, which is free ; 
melting, rich, with an abundant sugary juice. It is also 
one of the best kinds for a peach-house, fruiting freely, 
and ripening well. The foliage is however, rather subject 
to mildew. 

Noblesse. — This has long and deservedly been a favorite 
in our gardens. It is a very large fruit ; the skin pale, red 
when ripe ; the flesh juicy and rich. The tree is a good 
bearer, and the fruit ripens in September. 

Late Admirable, or La Hoyale. — Fruit large ; skin pale 
green next the wail, pale red on the sunny side ; flesh green- 
ish white, red at the stone ; juice abundant, and, when well 
ripened, of a high flavor. " One of the very best late 
peaches," says Mr. Thompson, " and ought to be in every 
collection." It is very proper for the peach-house, to suc- 
ceed the earlier sorts. 

Nearly allied to the preceding is the Teton cle VeriKs, a 
beautiful fruit, but requiring a warm situation. In a good 
season it ripens at the end of September ; is saccharine, and 
at the same time of fine flavor, 

George the Fotirth. L. Hort. Cat. 65 ; American Or- 
chardist, 223. — This is a fine large peach of American ori- 
gin ; bears forcing well, and is a semi-clingstone. It 
requires a flued wall in England. 

Among other ex6ellent peaches may be mentioned : 
Freestones^ Chancellor, Knight's Early, Downton Early, 



THE PEACH, 97 

Malta or Belle de Paris, Royal Charlotte, and William's 
Early Purple ; Clingstones^ Catharine, Heath, and Old 
Kewingtou, 

The following account of the modes of cultivating the 
peach in England, whilst it shows the impediments opposed 
by nature to the development of this fruit in that climate, 
may prove useful to those who reside in the more northern 
United States and British Colonies where the climate is 
unfavorable to the perfection of this delicious fruit in the 
•open air.* In all the Southern and Middle States the 
peach-tree flourishes in the open air, and planted in orchards, 
attains some fifteen or twenty feet in height The position 
where the peach is found perhaps in the greatest perfection 
is about the latitude of Baltimore and Washington. In 
the State of Delaware, south of Philadelphia, thousands 
of acres are covered with peach-trees, afl"ording the greatest 
abundance of fruit in the highest perfection. Baskets, 
holding about three pecks, are commonly sold at twenty- 
live to fifty cents. The varieties of this fruit known in 
the United States are very numerous, and every year 
increasing, 

Fropagatioii, — The facility with which this is effected in 
the United States may be judged of by the fact, that vigor- 
ous budded trees from four to seven feet in height can be 
obtained at the nurseries at from three to five dollars per 
hundred. The first step is to plant the pits in November, 
in some rich, light, or sandy soil, covering them about three 
inches deep. They may be placed in rows four feet apart, 
aud six or eight inches from each other. Or, the pits may 
be deposited during the autumn, in moist sand or light 

* The management required for obtaining the peach at extraordinary 
seasons will be found laid down in the description of operations connected 
with^o rcing ^ 

5 



98 FHUIT GARDEN, 

mould, and there left to form sprouts, which are taken from 
the stones and planted in rows. After the first summer's 
growth, they are budded in August and September. Early 
the succeeding spring, those in which the operation has suc- 
ceeded have the old wood cut down close above the new 
bud, which will shoot up in the course of the season, from 
three to nine feet high, with numerous side-branches. In 
some of the Western States, we are informed, it is com- 
mon to plant the stones in November, and bud the growth 
the following June, head down in July, and thus secure a 
growth of four or six feet within one year from the planting 
of the stone. When budding is performed on the plum 
stock, they will, it is said, live for half a century, and be 
free from the attacks of the worm, which is so apt to de- 
stroy the tree by its excavations into the bark immediately 
below the crown of the root. In poor, sandy soils, or 
gravelly subsoils, the tree is very short-lived, seldom bear- 
ing more than one or two crops before becoming sickly, and 
dying with what is commonly called the yellows. A light 
clay loam is the most favorable soil for the peach-tree, and 
this must be kept rich, or otherwise the trees will soon ex- 
haust the fertility of the ground, and perish from the yel- 
lows. Although a clay subsoil, retentive of moisture, is so 
congenial to the peach-tree, a little excess of moisture is 
very prejudicial. A happy medium, neither too dry nor 
too moist, is the great desideratum. 

JPlanting Out. — The ground intended for peach orchards 
should be ploughed as deeply as possible, and made fine by 
subsequent harrowing. If well manured the previous year, 
all the better. The trees, which should be one year old, 
counting from the budding, are to be placed not nearer 
than twenty feet apart, which makes one hundred and eight 
to the acre : on strong land, where they would attain to 



THE PEACH. 99 

still greater size, they should be at least twenty-four feet 
apart. Cultivate in corn or potatoes, the first two seasons, 
after which the trees will begin to bear, and generally make 
sufficient growth to require all the ground for themselves. 
This ground should be ploughed and harrowed every sea- 
son, and the trees hoed around, to break up all sward. 

Prufiing. — In general, very little pruning is done to 
peach-trees in the United States, which is strongly con- 
trasted with the elaborate treatment they receive from 
European fruit culturists. One of the main objects in 
trimming is to thin out the branches, so as to throw them 
open and allow the sun to penetrate to every part of the 
tree. This greatly improves the fruit in flavor and color, 
and thus secures its better sale. Those who have but a 
few trees to manage may adopt modes of winter and sum- 
mer trimming, which will prove of very great advantage to 
the fruit. The young wood should be kept thin, and every 
new growth shortened by fall or winter pruning. In this 
way, the beauty, vigor, and productiveness of the tree may 
be greatly improved. 

The National Convention of Fruit-growers to 1854 
have adopted the following list of peaches as of the first 
quality : — 

Gross Mignonne, Cooledge's Favorite, 

George IV., or Early York, with Bergin's Yellow, 
serrated leaves, Crawford's Late, 

Large Early Yorkj And for particular localities, 

Morris White, Heath Cling. 

Oldinixon Freestone, 

To this list the same body added. 

Belle de Vitry Admirable, 

Crawford's Early Malocaton, Late Admirable, 

Early Tillotson, President, 



100 FRUIT GARDEN. 

Red Kareripe, Noblesse, 

Lemon Cling, Royal George, 

Madoloino do CoursOn, Tippecanoe, 

Malta, Incomparable Admirable* 

Rareripe, 

Enemies of the Feadb-Trce. — The chief of these iu the 
Uuited States are, first, the Yelloivs, to which we have re- 
ferred, and ascribed to some uncougeniality of soil to the tree, 
as well as to exhaustion, where there is not sufficient fertil- 
ity ; and, secondl}^, the peach-worm which excavates the bark, 
so as often to girdle the tree immediately below the crown 
of the root. Its presence may always be known by a mass 
of gum, which exudes from the wounds, and a portion of 
which pushes itself a little above the surface of the ground. 
The worm, which is of a yellowish-white color, grows to 
the size of an incli in length, is very voracious, and the 
product of a four-winged long-shaped fly, with dark steel- 
blue wings, and yellow bands about the body. It is a 
species of iEgeria, called by Say, who has described it, 
cxigiosa, or the destructive, and its eggs are deposited 
during the summer upon the outer surface of the tree, near 
the root. As soon as these hatch, the minute maggot-like 
larva penetrate the bark, and begin their work of destruc- 
tion, which increases with their size. They live in this 
way about a year, when they cut out and enter their 
chrysalis state, between the tree and the earth, covered 
with the gum which bulges out from the base of the tree. 
After lying here a little while, they come forth in a new 
form of winged insects, and are soon busy in depositing a 
new crop of eggs for the production of more extensive 
destruction. A particular description of this insect and 
its habits may be found in the Farmers^ and Flanters* 
Encycloj)cediaf under the head " Peach." Putting a quart 



PEACH AND NECTARINE. lOl 

or more of unleaclicd ashes around the crown of the root 
in the month of April is recommended as a good destroyer 
of the peach worm. A mixture of common salt and salt- 
petre, one-eighth of the latter to seven-eighths of the for- 
mer, has also been successfully applied in a similar man- 
ner. Freshly slaked lime, half a peck heaped up around 
the crown of the root of each tree, is also recommended, 
the lime to be spread out over the ground the succeeding 
year. All these plans are doubtless advantageous, not 
only from their often destroying the worm, but by their 
contributing fertilizing qualities to the soil. 

NECTARINES. 

FairchikVs Early. — A beautiful little freestone ; chiefly, 
however, cultivated for its earliness. It ripens about the 
middle of August. 

Elruge; L. Ilort. Cat. 21. Lind. p. 287 (not of Mil- 
ler). — It is an excellent fruit, of a moderate size ; flesh 
white, almost to the stone, which is free. The tree forces 
well, and is a good bearer. Fruit ripens about the begin- 
ning of September. 

HunVs Tawny. — Size moderate ; skin pale orange next 
the wall, russet-red towards the sun ; flesh deep orange, 
juicy and well-flavored ; a freestone. A very distinct 
sort, worthy of cultivation for its earliness. 

Early Ncwinglon. — A fine large clingstone; pale green 
on the shaded side, bright red next the sun; juice saccha- 
rine and well flavored. Kipens in August. 

Red Roman. — An excellent old clingstone, now seldom 
to be met with genuine, but worthy of re-introduction. 

The Stanwick Nectarine^ a new fruit, was introduced 
into notice in I]ngland in 1850 or 1851, with great eclat ; 
but it is doubtful whether it will sustain its high reputa- 



102 FRUIT GARDEN. 

tion. Mr. Cope, of Philadelphia, fruited it in 1854 in his 
green-house. 

The nectarine is a scarce fruit in the United States, 
where, however, it would produce abundantly in the open 
air, wherever the peach-tree flourishes, were it not that the 
smoothness of its skin invites the curculio to make it the 
depository of its eggs, leading to the almost universal 
destruction of the fruit, unless protected by some means 
persevered in ; in this respect it seems to fail, even worse 
than the plum. The beauty, fragrance, and rarity of nec- 
tarines make them more highly prized than peaches ; but 
in flavor, they are perhaps inferior to many of the best 
kind of peaches to be met with every summer in the Phila- 
delphia market. As we find plum trees escape the attacks 
of the curculio, when planted in yards where the chickens 
and pigs range, the same good results might be expected 
from placing nectarine trees in similar situations. Nec- 
tarine trees are preferred, when grafted or budded on plum 
stocks. Their management and culture are similar to that 
of the peach. 

The Downton^ a much celebrated variety of nectarine, 
is a freestone of large size and a greenish-white color, dark- 
red cheek, and flesh rich, melting and juicy. 

The Pitmaston Orange has fruit of medium size, bright 
golden color and red cheek. The flesh is a deep yellow, 
and of a fine sweet rich flavor. It is a freestone. 

New White is a freestone of medium size, and creamy- 
white color, with flesh rather juicy and well flavored. 

Leivis''s Seedling. — This American variety was produced 
by Mr. Lewis, of Boston. It is a freestone, of large size 
and heart-shaped, sweet and pleasant flavor. The color is 
a bright yellow, mottled with red. 

Perkins' Seedling. — This is a large and beautiful nee- 



PEACH AND NECTAEINE. 103 

tarine, raised by S. G. Perkins, of Boston, from the Lewises 
Seedling, Its shape is round, color bright-3'ellow, with 
dark crimson on one side. The flesh is tender, juic}- and 
high flavored. 

At the meeting of the National Convention of Fruit- 
growers, the Eilruge Downton and Early violet varieties 
of the nectarine were adopted without objection, as of the 
first quality for this country. Some of the best authori- 
ties present, among whom were Messrs. Downing, Buist, 
and Hancock, concurred in pronouncing the Downton the 
very best of nectarines. 

The nectarine grows best in the Middle States, in shel- 
tered situations, and may be advantageously trained to 
fences and walls. 

Choice Peaches and Nectarines for raising under glass. 
— For a small glazed house, and for the wall of a middle- 
sized garden, the following selection of peaches and necta- 
rines is recommended. For the j)ea/:]t-house — Royal 
George, Barrington, Noblesse, Bellegarde, Grosse Mig- 
nonne, Early Purple peaches ; Violette hative, Hunt's 
Tawny, Elruge, and Roman nectarines. For the wall — 
Royal George, Late Admirable, Noblesse, Malta, Neil's 
Early Purple, Early Ann, Grosse Mignonne, Barrington, 
Bellegarde, George the Fourth, and Spring Grove peaches ; 
Nectarines^ Early Newington, Hunt's Tawny, Violette 
hative, Fairchild's Early, Roman, and Pitmaston Orange. 

Prodioction of New Varieties. — For information respect- 
ing the best modes of raising new varieties of peaches and 
nectarines, the reader may be referred to Mr. Knight's 
papers in the first volume of the Transactions of the 
Horticultural Society of London. That ardent horticul- 
turist entertained the hope that, by repeated sowings, the 
peach might acquire so robust a habit as to be capable of 



104 FRUIT GARDEN. 

succeeding as a standard in favorable situations in Eno-Ianti 
and Ireland, But with this desirable object in view, we 
would rather see the number of the kinds diminished than 
increased ; and it would be well for the country were ali 
the indifferent sorts banished from the nursery catalogues. 

To perpetuate and multiply valuable varieties, peaches 
and nectarines are budded upon plum or almond stocks. 
For dry situations, almond stocks are preferable ; and for 
damp or clayey loams, it is better to use plums. An al- 
mond budded on a plum stock may be rebudded with a ten- 
der peach, greatly to the advantage of the latter. The 
peach border should be composed of a light mellow loam^ 
such as is suitable for the vine and the fig, put in as rough 
as possible, or not broken small and fine. It should be well 
drained, or rendered quite free from all stagnant water, or 
latent dampness. It need not be of great depth, perhaps 
eighteen inches ; for the peach tree thrives best, and is 
most productive, when the roots are near the surface of 
the ground. We believe that, in many instances, all that 
is required to remedy sickly and unfruitful trees is to bring 
up their roots within five or six inches of the surface. In 
England, nothing is a greater obstacle to success in peach 
culture than trenching the borders, and cropping them 
heavily with culinary vegetables. 

The fruit of the peach is produced on the twiggy shoots 
of the preceding year. If these be too luxuriant, thej 
yield nothing but leaves ; and if too weak, they are incapa- 
ble of maturing the fruit. To furnish these, then, in suffi- 
cient abundance, and of requisite strength, is the great ob- 
ject of peach-training and pruning. All twiggy trees 
naturally fall into the fan form ; and, accordingly, this has 
generally been adopted in the culture of peaches. 

We shall first, therefore, notice the old English method^. 



PEACH AND NECTARINE. 105 

and then briefly the French, and other new modes of train- 
ing. 

The old fan form is very nearly that already given 
{supra) as a specimen of fan-training for twiggy trees. The 
yonng tree is often procured when it has been trained for 
two or three years in the nursery, but it is generally better 
to commence with a ?7iaiden plant, that is, in the first year 
after it has been budded. It is then headed down to five 
or six buds, and in the following summer two to four shoots, 
according to the vigor of the plant, are trained in ; the 
laterals also being thinned out, and properly nailed to the 
walls. Suppose there be four branches ; in the subsequent 
winter the two central ones are shortened back to produce 
others, and the inferior ones are laid in nearly at full 
length. In the following season additional shoots are sent 
forth ; and the process is repeated till eight or ten princi- 
pal limbs or mother branches be obtained, forming, as it 
were, the framework of the future tree. These mother 
branches are occasionally raised or depressed, so as to 
maintain their equilibrium, and are as much encouraged to 
grow outwards as is consistent with the regular filling up 
of the tree. The laterals are carefully thinned out (by 
pinching off with the fingers) in summer ; and the remainder 
are nailed in, to afi*ord subordinate members and bearing 
wood. When the centre of the tree has been filled up, all 
the training necessary is merely to prevent the inferior 
members from acquiring an undue ascendency over the 
mother branches. It is highly advantageous to have abun- 
dant space, and to draw the tree outwards, so that it be 
thin, but nowhere destitute of young shoots. 

Meanwhile the pruning for fruit has been going on. This 
consists in shortening down the laterals which had been 
nailed in at the disbudding, or summer pruning. Their 



106 FRUIT GARDEN. 

length will depend on their individual vigor, and the luxu- 
riance of the tree. The buds, which are generally double, 
or rather two together, with a fruit bud between them, 
seldom occur quite close to the insertion of the shoot. 
Perhaps two or three pairs are left with a wood bud at 
the point to afford a growing shoot, in order to act as its 
lungs, for it is necessary that there should be leaves above 
the fruit. The extent of thinning of the fruit must depend 
on the vigor of the tree ; a pair of fruit to each square 
foot of wall being an average allowance. When the fruit 
begins to swell, the point of this leading shoot is pinched 
off, that it may not drain away the sap. Any young shoot 
from the wood-eyes at the base of the bearing branch is 
carefully preserved, and in the following winter it takes 
the place of the branch which has borne fruit, and is cut 
out. If there be no young shoot below, and the bearing 
branch be short, the shoots at the point of the latter are 
pruned for fruit ; but this must be done cautiously ; and 
if the bearing branch be long, it is better to cut it back for 
young wood. It is the neglect of this which constitutes 
the principal error of the English fan system as it is usual- 
ly practiced. Several times during summer the trees are 
regularly examined : the young shoots are respectively 
topped and thinned out : those that remain are nailed to 
the wall, or braced in with pieces of peeled willow, and the 
whole trees are occasionally washed with the force-pump. 
The Montrueil form is described at length in the Horti- 
cultural Tom\ p. 249, or in the Cal. Hort. Mem., vol. iv. 
p. 145. The principal feature constitutes the great princi- 
ple of all French training, the suppression of the direct 
channel of the sap. Four, more commonly two, mere 
branches are so laid to the wall that the central angle con- 



PEACH AND NECTARINE. 



107 



tains about 90 ® . The other branches are all treated as 
subordinate members. 

Fig. 12. 




The form a la Dumoutier (so called from its inventor 
and described at great length by Lelieur), is merely a re- 
finement on the Montrueil method. It will be sufl&cient 
to mention to the experienced trainer (and none other can 
be expected to execute this form), that the formation of 
the tree commences with the inferior limbs, and proceeds 

Fig. 13. 




towards the centre, the branches being lowered from time 
to time, as the tree acquires strength. What is most wor- 
thy of notice in this method is the management of the sub- 
ordinates in the pruning for fruit. When a shoot promises 
blossom, it is generally tvt some distance from the point ol' 



108 



FRUIT GARDEN. 



insertion into the old wood, and the intermediate space is 
covered with wood-buds. All the latter, therefore, which 



JFi2. 14. 




are between the old wood a and the blossom c, in the outer 
figure, except the lowest b^ are carefully removed by 
ebourgeonnement or disbudding. This never fails to pro- 
duce a shoot, by in the inner figure, the growth of which is 
favored by destroying the useless spray above the blossoms, 
and pinching off the points of those which are necessary to 
perfect the fruit. A replacing shoot is thus obtained, to 
which the whole is invariably shortened at the end of the 
year. The branch thus treated is called the branche de 
reserve. 

The form d la Sieule is another modification of the Mon- 
trueil training, for an account of which we must again refer 
to the Horticultural Tour. This figure will give an idea 

Fig. 16. 




PfiACH AND NECTARINE. 



109 



of the general arrangement of the tree. The two mother 
branches are laid in very obliquely, and are never shortened. 
On the subordinate branches three buds only are left at 
the winter pruning, one terminal, and two at a considerable 
distance from each other on the sides of the shoot. This 
method, probably, is not well adapted to our climate. 

Mr. Seymour'' s form, as described in vols. i. and ii. of 
the Gardener^s Magazine^ approaches more nearly to the 
French methods than any other practiced in: this country. 
It will be seen, however, from the annexed figure, that he 
does not suppress the direct channel of the sap. This cir- 
cumstance, although considerable stress seems to be laid up- 
on it, is not essential to the plan, nor is, perhaps, the best part 
of it. The principal novelty is, that the bearing shoots are 
all on the upper sides of the mother branches, and that 
these bearing shoots are wholly reproduced once a year. 
The one side of this figure represents the tree after the 

Fig. 16, 




winter prunmg, the other side before it has undergone that 
operation. It will be observed that on this last side 
there are pairs of shoots on the upper parts of the mother 
branches. The lower shoot, that, namely, which has 
borne fruit, is cut out, and the other is brought down into 



no FRUIT GARDEN. 

its place. This replacing shoot is shortened to about 
eight or nine inches, care being taken to cut at a wood-bud , 
and at the time of disbudding, the best situate buds, and 
those nearest the base, are left for the future year's bear- 
ing. To this plan it is objected, by a writer in the Horti- 
cultural Register^ that the annual excision of the bearing 
shoots produces a series of rugged and unsightly protuber- 
ances at their base, and along the upper surfaces of the 
principal members ; an objection which also militates 
against Dumoutier's form. Mr. Loudon, on the other 
hand, declares that Mr. Seymour's mode is the most per- 
fect iu theory that has been described. For ourselves, we 
are inclined to prefer the old fan-form, when well executed, 
as approaching nearest to the natural habit of the tree, and 
as best adapted to our uncertain climate. As a general 
observation, it may be said that, in the training of peach 
trees, " whatever is best administered is best ;" and there 
is no doubt that many ingenious gardeners have only par- 
tial success, because, from the multiplicity of their engage- 
ments, their trees can receive only partial attention. 

For cold and late situations, Mr. Knight recommended 
the encouraging of spurs on the young wood ; such spurs, 
when close to the wall, being found to generate the best 
organized and most vigorous blossoms, and thus to ensure 
a crop of fruit. They may be produced by taking care 
during the summer-pruning, or disbudding, to preserve a 
number of the little shoots emitted by the yearly wood, 
only pinching off the minute succulent points. On the 
spurs thus procured, numerous blossom-buds form early in 
the following season. This mode of spurring is much 
practiced in Scotland. 

Peach trees, particularly in the North of England, and 
also in Scotland, retpire protection from atmospherical in- 



NECTARINE AND ALMOND. Ill 

fluences, especially at the period of blossoming. As already 
noticed, branches of spruce or silver fir, or other spray, are 
sometimes woven into frames, which are fixed in front of 
the trees, and removed during the day in fine weather ( Cal. 
Hort. Me?n.y i., 276). Canvas or bunting screens are 
equally effectual, and perhaps more easily movable. Straw- 
ropes, straw-nets, and a variety of other expedients, have 
been proposed, and may be used according to circumstances. 
If the screens be applied early in the season, great benefit 
may be derived from retarding the blossom till the frosty 
nights of spring be past. If the night frost have been 
severe, a copious sprinkling of water over the whole tree, 
before the influence of the morning sun be felt, has been 
found to be very useful in gradually raising the tempera- 
ture of the foliage and blossoms, and thus preventing injury 
from the sudden transition. To trees trained against hot- 
walls, if fire be used in spring, screens are indispensable ; 
but perhaps hot-walls are most beneficially employed in 
ripening off the fruit of the late sorts of peaches in autumn ; 
and, what is equally important, ripening the young wood 
of such sorts. 

When peach and nectarine trees are liable to mildew and 
to aphides, it is found very useful to coat, with a painter's 
coarse brush, all the branches and twigs with a composi- 
tion of black soap and flowers of sulphur, mixed with 
water, and boiled to the consistence of paint. This should 
be done during winter, and before the trees are nailed to 
the wall. 

The late pruning of the peach and nectarine should take 
place early in the winter, and not be delayed till the spring, 
as is sometimes the case. 

The Almond Tree (Amygdalus communis)^ a native of 



112 FRUIT GARDEN. 

China, may be noticed here rather on account of its affinity 
to the peach and apricot, than because of its importance as 
a fruit-tree in Britain. Every good garden should contain 
a tree or two trained against a west or east wall, and also 
a few standards ; for in very fine seasons the latter will 
yield crops, and they are always ornamental in spring from 
the beauty of their blossoms. The sorts most worthy of 
notice are the Tender-shelled Sweet Almond, or Jordan, 
and the Common Almond, or Bitter. 

The almond is generally budded on seedlings of its own 
kind ; but for heavy soils plum-stocks are preferable. The 
training and pruning of almond trees on walls are much 
the same as in the peach or the apricot. 



# 



The ArRicoT {Prunus ArTneniaca) is a native of the 
Caucasus and China ; it was cultivated by the Romans, and 
was introduced into England from Italy in the reign of 
Henry VIII. It has always, and deservedly, been a 
favorite. The principal varieties are : 

Red Masculine. — Flowers small ; fruit small, roundish, 
yellow and red : flesh sweet and juicy ; stone impervious ; 
kernel bitter. This is a very early sort, but the tree is 
rather tender, and requires a good aspect. 

Breda. — Flowers large ; fruit roundish, sometimes almost 
four-cornered, orange-colored ; juice rich, stone small, im- 
pervious ; kernel sweet. The true Breda is an apricot of 
first-rate excellence, and in the south of England the tree 
bears well as a standard. 

Homan. — Flowers large; fruit oblong, compressed, pale 

* The Hard-shelled Almonds will succeed in the open air in any of the 
Middle States, and the soft-shelled have been matured in Camden, Delaware. 
Very good hard-shell almonds are produced in Virginia. The culture is 
similar to that of the peach and apricot, and ought to be more generally at- 
tended to in the Southern and some of the Middle States. 



APRICOT. 113 

yellow ; flesli soft ; stone impervious ; kernel very bitter. 
The tree is a good bearer, but the fruit is fit only for pre- 
serving. It is sometimes called the Brussels — a name 
also occasionally given to the preceding. 

Moorpark. — Flowers large ; fruit roundish, compressed, 
orange and red ; flesh parting from the stone, juicy and 
rich ; stone pervious ; kernel bitter. This is generally 
considered the best apricot in this country. There are 
several sub-varieties known under different names ; and 
among these Shipley's is the best. It scarcely differs from 
the Apricot Peche of the French. 

HemsJdrke. — Like a small Moorpark, but with a more 
tender and juicy pulp, and with the rich flavor of a green- 
gage plum ; kernel small, sweetish. A desirable early 
fruit, ripening on an east wall in the end of July or begin- 
ning of August. 

Turkey. — Flowers large ; fruit middle-sized, spherical, 
deep yellow ; flesh juicy and rich, parting from the stone, 
which is impervious ; kernel sweet. This is an excellent 
late variety. 

Dubois Golden Apricot. — A hardy productive American 
variety. Small but good flavor ; early, and is tolerably 
exempt from the attacks of the curculio. Good for market. 

Besides these, we may mention the Large Early, the 
White Masculine, Musoh-musch, and Royal. The last is 
a French variety of recent origin ; it is excellent, and 
ripens earlier than the Moorpark. 

Apricots are propagated by budding on muscle or com- 
mon plum-stocks. Mr. Knight recommends the wilding 
apricot as a stock for the Moorpark variety. Some 
gardeners have adopted the horizontal form of training, 
but the most usual, and certainly the best, is the common 
fan arrangement ; for the taller the tree the greater the 



114 FRUIT GARDEN 

produce of fruit. The fruit is produced on shoots of the 
preceding year, and on small close spurs formed on the two- 
year-old wood. The apricot is a tree of much stronger 
growth than the peach, and therefore requires more room ; 
this and the peculiarity of the spurs being kept in mind, 
the observations made on the training and pruning of the 
peach may be readily applied to this tree. It requires a 
summer and winter pruning. The former should begin 
early in June, at which period all irregular fore-right and 
useless shoots are to be pinched off; and, shortly after- 
wards, those which remain are to be fastened to the wall, to 
become bearers. At the winter pruning, all worn-out 
branches, and such as are not duly furnished with spurs 
and fruit-buds, are removed. The young bearers are 
moderately pruned at the points, care, however, being taken 
to leave a terminal shoot or leader to each branch. The 
most common error in the pruning of apricots is laying in 
the bearing shoots too thickly. 

The blossom comes early in spring, but is more hardy 
than that of the peach ; the same means of protection, 
when necessary, may be employed. The fruit often sets 
too numerously ; and in this case it is thinned out in June 
and in the beginning of July, the later thinnings being 
used for tarts, for which purpose they are in much request. 
In the south of England, apricots are sometimes trained 
against espalier rails, and occasionally planted as dwarf 
standards ; and it is said that in good seasons the fruit 
from such trees is more highly flavored than that from 
walls. In general, however, the protection of a wall is re- 
quired. An east or west aspect is preferred in England, 
the full south being apt to induce mealiness of pulp. In 
Scotland, the late varieties require the best aspect that can 
be afforded. 



PLUMS. 115 

This fruit ripens several weeks earlier than the peach to 
which it is allied. The National Convention of Fruit- 
growers, adopted unanimously as of the first quality known 
in the United States, the following varieties, viz : The 
Large Eai'ly^ Breda^ and Wloorpark. The kind known as 
the peach apricot was pronounced identical with the Moor- 
park. 

The tendency of this tree to put out its flowers very 
early in the season, and much before the Almond and 
Peach, subjects its fruit to great risk from nipping spring 
frosts. This difficulty increases in proceeding from the 
North to the South. 

The Plum Tree {Pru?ius domestica) is considered by 
Sir J. E. Smith as a native of England. Many of the best 
cultivated varieties, however, have been introduced from 
France. The Hort. Soc. Catalogue enumerates 274 sorts, 
though probably all of these are not well ascertained. We 
shall first notice a few of the best dessert plums, and then 
give a list of select kitchen sorts. 

The Green- Gage is the Reiiie Claude of the French. 
Being a great favorite at Paris (as it is everywhere else) 
during the ferment of the first Revolution, when all allu- 
sions to royalty were proscribed, it retained its popularity 
under the title of Prune Citoyenne. It was introduced into 
England by the Gage family, and the foreign name having 
been lost, it obtained its present appellation. It is a fruit 
of first-rate excellence, the flavor being exquisite. The tree 
deserves a place against an east or west wall, where the 
fruit acquires a larger size, without materially falling off in 
richness of flavor. Treated as a wall tree, it seldom bears 
well till it be old ; and it is very impatient of exact train- 
ing, as indeed most plums are. In warm situations it 



116 FRUIT GARDEN. 

may be properly grown on an espalier-rail, or as a dwarf 
standard. 

The Drap cVOr is a small yellow plum of high flavor, 
ripening in the beginning of September. On a light soil 
the tree is a tolerable bearer ; but on a heavy soil it seldom 
succeeds. The fruit precedes the green-gage in ripening, 
and resembles it in quality. 

Cog's. Golden Drop is a fine large oval plum ; excellent 
either for the table or for preserving. It keeps well, and 
Mr. Lindley informs us that he has eaten it exceedingly 
good twelve months after it had been gathered. It requires 
the best aspect of a wall, and will scarcely answer in a 
bleak climate. 

Reine Claude Violette^ L. Hort. Cat.^ 232. Purple- 
Gage, Lind.^ p. 555. — Avery high-flavored variety, resem- 
bling, color excepted, the green-gage. It succeeds on stan- 
dards, but is improved by a wall. The tree is a good bearer. 

Washington^ L. Hort. Cat.^ 266; Amer. Orchard., 
p. 268. — Fruit rather large, roundish oval, pale yellow on 
the shaded side, and of a fine glaucous light purple on the 
exposed side ; of excellent quality, little inferior to the 
green-gage. The tree is vigorous, and bears well against a 
wall, the fruit ripening about the middle of August. Being 
an early plum, it will, in favorable situations, succeed as a 
standard. It is, as the name imports, of American origin. 
It ought to be in every collection. 

Couper'^s Large Red is a plum of large size, oval ; 
suture deeply cleft on one side ; skin of a bluish glaucous 
purple on the exposed side, on the other side dull red ; flesh 
firm, adhering to the stone ; ripening in the beginning of 
September on a south wall, in Scotland. Although this is 
only a fruit of second quality, yet the tree well merits a. 
place on account of its great productiveness. 



tLUMS. 117 

The following may also be accounted first-rate plums, and 
deserving a place against the wall : — Coe's Late Ked, Down- 
ton Imperatrice, Isleworth Imperatrice, Royale Hative 
Kirke's Plum, Blue Perdrigon, White Perdrigon, Ickworth 
Imperatrice, Early Orleans, White Magnum Bonum, Mira- 
belle, and the Dunmore. 

The Wilmot's Orleans, La Royale, Sharpe's Emperor of 
Morocco, and some of the Damsons, though generally re- 
garded as only second-rate plums, deserve notice, and should 
always be introduced in large gardens, at least as standards. 
The Early Violet is an excellent bearer, and strongly 
recommended by Lindley to be planted in cottage gardens. 
Lucomb's Nonsuch plum should not be omitted ; for when 
well ripened, it makes an approach to the green-gage in 
flavor. 

As kitchen and preserving plums we may specify the 
common Damson, Imperial Diadem, Isabella, White Mag- 
num Bonum, Bed Magnum Bonum or Imperiale ; the Cale- 
donia or Nectarine Plum, a large and handsome fruit. 

The finer dessert plums are propagated chiefly by bud- 
ding on Muscle or St. Julian stocks. They are some- 
times grafted, but gum is apt to break out at the place of 
junction. 

Plum trees require ample space. On common walls they 
should be allowed from twenty to twenty-five feet of breadth 
over which to extend themselves. The horizontal mode of 
training is adopted by many. The fan form is also very 
commonly followed, and undoubtedly where there is room 
it is the best. The shoots ought to be laid in at full length. 
The fruit is produced on small spurs, on branches at least 
two years old, and the same spurs continue fruitful for 
several years. 

Standard plum trees require only to have a portion of 



118 FRUIT GARDEN. 

their wood thinned out occasionally while they are young. 
The hardy kinds grown in this way are very productive, 
and in some places in the north of England their produce 
forms a considerable article of food for several weeks, 
and also an article of commerce, particularly the wine- 
sour, which is in great request for preserves. It is 
matter of regret that this branch of fruit culture has not 
as yet, met with due attention in Scotland. 

The crops of this fruit are greatly limited in the United 
States by the destruction of the young fruit effected by 
worms hatched from eggs deposited in what are called the 
stings of the Curculio. This insect has been described by 
Dr. Harris, the celebrated entomologist of Massachusetts, 
whose account of it, together with the best modes of pro- 
tection from its destructive attacks, are all treated of at 
much length in the Farmer'' s and Planter'' s Encyclopedia^ 
under the heads of Curculio dmdi Plum- Tree Weevil. One 
of the best preventives is to have the trees paved around, 
or planted in yards and places where fowls and pigs com- 
monly range. 

The list of plums adopted as of the first quality, at the 
National Convention of Fruit-growers, at their meetmg 
in 1854, is as follows : — 

Jefferson, Grreen-Grage, Washington, Purple Favorite, 
Bleeker's Grage, Coe's Golden Drop, Frost Gage, Lawrence 
Favorite, Mc'Laughlin, Purple Gage, Reiue Claude de 
Bavay, Smith's Orleans; and^ for particular localities ^\\iq 
Imperial Gage. To this list of fruit of well-established 
reputation, the same body subsequently added as giving 
promise of being worthy a place in the catalogue. River's 
Favorite, St. Martin's Quetsche, Ive's Washington Seedling, 
Munroe Egg, and Prince's Yellow Gage. 



CHERRIES. 119 

The Cherry Tree (Primus Cerasus) is said to have 
been introduced into Italy from Pontus, in Asia, by the 
Roman general, Lucullus. From the " London cries" of 
Lydgate, it appears that " cherries in the ryse," or in 
twiggs, were hawked in London at the beginning of the 
fifteenth century. Excellent sorts have at various times 
been introduced from the Continent, and, of late years, 
aeveral first-rate new varieties have been raised in England. 
Greans included, the Horticultural Society's Catalogue enu- 
merates no fewer than 219 varieties; the following may be 
accounted some of the best. 

The Early Purple Griotte may be first mentioned, as 
being the earliest of all cherries, sometimes ripening in the 
end of May, and generally early in June. It is not yet 
generally known in England, but deserves cultivation, the 
fruit being large, of a fine purple color, and of rich flavor. 

Knighfs Early Black is a large, dark colored cherry, 
of excellent quality, ripening in the end of June. 

The May Duke is one of the most common, and, at the 
same time, one of the most valuable cherries. In fine 
seasons, and on a good aspect of wall, it begins to color in 
May ; and in such situations it is generally ripe from the 
middle to the end of June. The tree also bears well as a 
dwarf standard, but against a wall the fruit gets larger, and 
does not fall off in flavor. 

The Royal Duke is a rich, sweet cherry, with most of 
the qualities of a May Duke. On a standard it ripens in 
August. 

Bigarreau, or Graffixm. — This is an excellent fruit, 
especially when it gets the protection of a wall. In the 
cherry orchards of England this sort is now pretty exten- 
sively cultivated, the fruit meeting with a ready sale, and 
vast quantities being required for the London market. 



120 FRUIT GARDEN. 

Belle de Choisy^ an excellent cherry. The fruit comes 
in pairs, red, mottled with amber color, tender and sweet. 
The tree bears well as a standard. 

Black Tartarian, or Ronald's Black Heart, L. HorU 
Cat., 198; Lind., p. 149. Fruit large, obtuse heart- 
shaped ; flesh half tender. " The quality is good, and in 
appearance is one of the finest. " The tree is a good bearer, 
and well adapted for forcing. 

Wate)-loo. — Raised by a daughter of Mr. Knight from 
the Bigarreau and May Duke. Fruit black, large, obtuse 
heart-shaped, pulp tender. It ripens in July, and the tree 
is a free bearer. 

Elto7i. — Raised by Mr. Knight from the Bigarreau and 
White Heart. Fruit large, heart-shaped, pale red, with a 
sweet, delicious juice. The tree is a good bearer and 
hardy ; the fruit ripens shortly after the May Duke. 

Kentish Cherry. — One of the oldest and most prevalent 
cherries of England, abounding in the orchards of Kent. 
When ripe it is of a full red color, and its subacid flavor is 
very agreeable. It is commonly grown on standards, and 
ripens in the end of July, The Hort. Cat. distinguishes 
this from the Flemish or short-stalked, also a good cherry, 
to which it is certainly closely allied. 

The Morello. — This is a well-known late cherry, much in 
request for confectionery. The tree is a copious bearer, 
and on a south wall the fruit acquires a peculiarly rich 
subacid flavor. It succeeds perfectly well on a north 
aspect, where its fruit may be retarded to the end of 
October. 

The Amber, or yellow Spanish, is a late fruit, and useful 
in prolonging the cherry season till the beginning of Sep- 
tember. It requires a west wall. ' 

Among other excellent varieties may be mentioned the 



CHERRIES. 121 

Black Eagle, the Black Heart, Bowyer's Early Heart, Car- 
nation, Downton, Florence, and the White Heart. 

What are called geans or guignes are cherries less 
removed from their natural state. The trees are generally 
treated as standards, and bear abundantly, particularly 
when old. The principal sorts are the Amber gean, a 
plentiful bearer, with sweet tender fruit ; and the Lundie 
gean, bearing a small black cherry of high flavor. This 
variety originated at the ancient seat of the Erskines in 
Forfarshire, but is sometimes called the Polton gean, from 
a place near Lasswade, in Mid-Lothian. 

It may be noticed that, in the Jardin des Plantes, at 
Paris, the black-fruited cherry-tree, or Guignier^ is con- 
sidered as a variety of Prunus Cerasus. The forest cherry- 
tree, P. avium, is named Merisier; and, besides varieties 
with red and with black fruit, there is a marked variety 
called Bigarotier. 

The stock preferred for cherries is the wild gean. Mr. 
Lindley recommend that dwarf cherry trees should be 
grafted, and two or three year old stocks will do for them. 
For standard trees the stocks should be at least four years 
old, and they should be budded or grafted five or six feet 
from the ground. High stemmed cherry trees, or ride7'Sj 
are often temporarily employed to fill up the vacant spaces 
on newly-planted south walls till the dwarf trees make 
sufficient progress ; for these, stocks six or seven feet high 
are required. For dwarf cherry trees, the best stocks are 
procured from the Prunus (or Cerasus) Mahaleb, the sweet- 
scented cherry. 

Cherries are generally produced on small spurs which 
appear on the wood of the second year, and these spurs 
continue productive for an indefinite period. Any form of 
training may therefore be adopted ; but, as the fruit is 



122 FRUIT GARDEN. 

always finest on young spurs, perhaps fan-training, wliich 
admits of the frequent renovation of the bearing branches, 
is the most advantageous. A succession of young shoots 
should be laid in every year. For the Morello, which is 
of a twiggy growth, and bears on the young wood, the fan 
form is absolutely necessary. AVhatever method be adopted 
for general practice, care should be taken not to crowd the 
branches ; for nothing is more unfavorable to the produc- 
tiveness of the trees than over-crowding of branches. 

The Prunus Marasca, from the fruit of which is prepar- 
ed the celebrated liqueur called Maraschina di Zara, is a 
native of Dalmatia, and would doubtless succeed in Britain 
and America if fairly tried. 

We often find terms adopted to designate diflferent kinds 
of cherries, which it will be useful to understand. Of up- 
wards of 200 varieties of the cherry in cultivation, the 
French usually make three general divisions, or classes, 
namely, Griottes, or the tender-fleshed; JSigarreaics, or 
heart-shaped ; and Gidg?ies, or Geans, small-fruited. The 
Morello has characteristics such as the peculiar form and 
lowness of the tree, appearance and character of its fruit, 
and length of time it hangs upon the branches after matur- 
ing, all of which serve to distinguish it from other kinds 
of the cherry family. Dwarf cherry trees are procured 
either by grafting upon Morellos or the Mahaleb, or sweet- 
blossomed cherry. Large standards are generally engraft- 
ed on the second year's growth from the seeds of Mazzards, 
a name designating a kind of small black cherry. 

The National Convention of Fruit-growers, from 1848 
to 1854, recommended the following varieties of cherries 
as of the best quality and most deserving of cultivation in 
the Union. 



PEARS. 



123 



KIPENINQ IN JUNE. 

May Duke, Knight's Early Black, 

IN JULY. 

Black Tartarian, Black Eagle, 

Qraffion, or Bigarroau, Downer's Late, 

Elton, Downton. 

The Belle Magnifique and Early Richmond for cooking, and for new varie- 
ties that promise well. 

CHEURIES THAT PROMISE WELL. 

American Amber, Governor Wood, 

Belle de Orleans, Great Bigarroau of Downing, 

Bigarreau Monstreuso do Bavay, Hovoy, 

Black Hawk, Kirtland's Mary, 

Coe's Transparent, Ohio Beauty, 

Early purple Guique, Reine Ilortense, 

Walsh Seedling. 
The Pear Tree (Pyrus commu?iis) is considered by 
botanists as a native of England. Many cultivated varie- 
ties seem to have been introduced by the monks ; remains 
of pear orchards attached to monasteries of the fourteenth 
and fifteenth centuries being not uncommon even in Scot- 
land, and very ancient trees of the finer dessert pears, such 
as the Colmar and Longueville, occasionally occurring. 

The list of cultivated pears amounts to more than 600 
names ; but the number of those truly desirable is not 
large. We shall specify some of what are considered in 
England the best dessert fruit, following the usual division 
of Early and Late ; the former class being in season in 
England in the months of August, September, and Octo- 
ber, and the latter in November, December, and January. 
It is only a few years since pears fit for the dessert in 
January were known in Britain ; such as the Glout mor- 
ceau, the Easter Beurr6 and the Winter Beurre; and 
they deserve the best attention of horticulturists. It is to 
be premised, however, that even within the limits of Bri 



124 FRUIT GARDEN. 

tain, climate makes an important difference in the culture 
and ripening of pears, of which a remarkable and extreme 
example may be seen in the Ohaumontelle — a fruit which 
is produced abundantly ^nd ripened on standards in the 
south-west of England, and even in the environs of London, 
while it requires a south wall near Edinburgh. 

1. Early. 

Citro7i des Carmes, L. Hort. Cat.^ 190; Madeleine, 
Ijind., ip. 344; in Scotland often called the Premature. 
This is the earliest pear; it ripens in July, acquiring a 
yellowish-green color; it is sweet, but without much flavor. 
One tree, or at most two trees, may suffice. It requires 
in the English climate a sheltered situation. 

The Green Chisel, called also the Hastings, Pear James, 
or Green Sugar. This is not a first-rate pear ; but the 
tree is hardy and a great bearer. It ripens in August. 

The Sum7Jier Rose. — A handsome round pear, of a rus- 
sety-red color, much resembling an apple, flesh white, rich 
and sugary. This is an excellent variety, succeeds on a 
standard, and ripens in August. 

The Bislw2j''s Thiwib is a hardy orchard pear of good 
quality, and the tree is a free bearer. The fruit consider- 
ably resembles the muirfowl egg, but is earlier. 

The Jargonelle of Britain is the Grosse Cuisse Madame 
of French horticultural writers, and the Epargne and Bau- 
present of French practical gardeners. This is the most 
common and most esteemed of our early autumn pears. 
Against a wall the fruit attains a large size and a beau- 
tiful appearance ; but it is not of so high a flavor as from 
standards or espalier rails. The fruit does not keep well, 
and the tree should therefore be planted in various situa- 
tions to prolong its season, as it is rather difficult, when 



PEARS. 125 

it disappears, immediately to supply its place in the des- 
sert. Beautiful dwarf trees may be formed by grafting 
on the common white thorn, which, however, are not very 
patient of transplanting. The French jargonelle is green 
on one side and red on the other, and is a fruit of inferior 
quality. 

The Ananas d? Ete is scarcely noticed by our horticul- 
tural writers ; but it seems a good variety to succeed the 
jargonelle. In the Experimental Garden at Edinburgh, it 
ripens on a standard in the second week of September. 
It is of middle size, about two and a half inches broad, 
tapering a little towards the stalk, round at the top, eye 
small, slightly sunk in a cavity ; red on the exposed side, 
green, and somewhat russety on the other ; flesh white, 
melting, with a pleasant sweet juice. Sometimes called 
King William Pear. 

The Summer Francreal, or the Yat of Holland, may be 
noticed as another pear to follow the jargonelle, as it ripens 
about the middle of September. The tree proves, in gene- 
ral, a great bearer. 

The Longueville. — Some verv ancient trees of this varie- 
ty exist at Jedburgh ; and in the garden of the Regent 
Murray at Edinburgh there are several which apparently 
are coeval with the times of the Regency. Though the 
name is now unknown in France, it is conjectured that the 
tree was brought over from that country by the Douglas, 
when Lord of Longueville, in the fifteenth century. The 
fruit is large, of a thick conical shape, green, and of con- 
siderable flavor. It ripens in September. 

The Seckle, of American origin, deserves a place ; for 
the tree is of dwarfish size, and suited for a border stand- 
ard, and it seldom fails to yield a crop. The fruit is small, 
but melting and perfumed. It does not keep. 



126 FRUIT GARDEN. 

Feasfs Seedling, raised from the seckle, is likewise a 
fine earl}' sort, of American origin. 

The White Doyeyme. — This is an excellent sort, when 
used at its perfection. In warm situations it is well 
adapted for dwarf standards, llipens in September and 
October. 

The lied Doyenne, or, as it is sometimes called. Gray 
Doyenne, is also an excellent autumn pear, succeeding 
best on a quince stock. 

The JEarly Bergamot was introduced from France in 
1820. It is one of the very best early pears, as the tree 
bears freely as an open standard. 

The Antiimn Bergamot, or English Bergamot, hao been 
long known as one of the most highly-flavored pears. It 
is not the Bergamot te d'Automne of the French, which is 
liable to canker in this country, while the English Berga- 
mot is not. In England the tree succeeds perfectly well 
as a standard ; in Scotland it answers in good seasons, but 
there it is deserving of a west wall. The fruit is of a de- 
pressed globular shape, not large; the flesh juicy, sugary, 
and rich, a little gritty next the core. It ripens towards 
the end of October, but does not keep. 

The Van Mons Leon Leclerc is one of the newest and 
best autumn pears, ripening from the middle to the end of 
October. It is of the size and shape of the Duchesse 
d'Angouleme ; sugary, and with rich pine-apple flavor. 

To the list of summer and early autumn pears might be 
added the Musk Robine, Summer Francreal, Summer 
Bonchretien and Wilbraham Bonchretien, generally requir- 
ing the protection of a wall ; and the Lammas Pear of 
Scotland, " soon ivpe, soon rotten," which succeeds per- 
fectly well on open standards ; Ambrosia, Belle et Bonne, 
Beurr6 d'Amalis, Caillot Bosat, and the Hazel Pear. 



PEARS. 127 

2. Late. 

The Brown Beurre (Red and Gray Bucrre of various 
authors) is a first-rate melting pear. Against a wall with 
a good aspect, and with a fresh soil, the tree is an abundant 
bearer. Ripens in October and November. A variety 
raised at Dunmore, and called the Dunmore Brown Bcurre 
is hardy, and produces freely as a standard, but about a 
month later. 

The Beurre de Capiaiimont is one of the best new 
Flemish varieties. The fruit is melting and well-flavored, 
and ripens in October and November. The tree is a great 
and constant bearer, and hardy, answering equally well as 
a wall-tree or a standard. 

The GanseVs Bergmnot (sometimes called Brocas Ber- 
gamot). — This noble pear, which has scarcely been rivaled, 
certainly not surpassed, by any of the imported varieties, 
is of English origin. Its blossoms are too tender to ena- 
ble the tree to succeed as a standard ; but it deserves a 
wall, and it should be placed on various aspects to prolong 
its season. It almost always blossoms freely; but fre- 
quently proves shy in setting : thinning the blossom is 
found advantageous. The fruit ripens in November and 
December. 

The Marie Louise. — This ezcellent and large pear was 
raised by the Abbe Duquesne, and named after the Empress 
in the time of Bonaparte. " It is," says Mr. Thompson, 
" one of the very finest, even as a standard, bearing abun- 
dantly; it succeeds also well on the north wall." In Scot- 
land it is the better for an east or west aspect ; but on a 
standard in a sheltered garden at Luffness, East Lothian, 
the fruit has attained the weight of fifteen ounces, and it 
has been produced of excellent quality from standards in 
the orchard of the Horticultural Society's Garden at Edin' 



128 FRUIT GARDEN. 

burgli. Against a wall in Scotland, it ripens in October 
and November, and on standards in November and Decem- 
ber ; in England, it is from a month to six weeks earlier. 
Tlio tree seems nowise liable to canker. 

The Forme de Marie Louise is an excellent standard 
pear, though considerably smaller than the other. In Scot- 
land it ripens freely in October and November. 

The Diinmore Fear comes into use before the Marie 
Louise, and is nearly of equal excellence. 

Taylors Seedlvngy raised at Dunmore, is a good pear, 
and so hardy as to succeed quite well as a standard. 

Napoleony of excellent quality ; from a wall in November 
and December ; and in January from stando^rds, on which it 
bears freely. 

Duchesse d^Angouleme (or Frecel F), a very large and 
showy fruit, requiring a wall ; good in January and Febru- 
ary, and therefore valuable for lateness. 

Buerre d' Aremhcrg. — This pear, if carefully kept in the 
fruit room, will, in January, be found perfectly melting and 
without grittiness, and rich, sweet, and high-.flavored. The 
tree is hardy, succeeding against an east or a west wall, or 
as a standard in any sheltered situation, and bearing freely. 

The Crasanne is an old French sort, of excellent quality, 
with a tender and finely-flavored pulp. The tree deserves 
a south or west aspect on a wall, and it succeeds also on an 
espalier rail. The fruit ripens in November and Decem- 
ber. 

The Althorp Crasanne is a first-rate pear, raised by Mr. 
Knight, ripening in October and November ; flesh melting, 
rich, and with a fine rose-water flavor. Succeeds on an east 
or west wall, or on standards in good situations ; the fruit 
from standards being highest flavored. 

The TJrbaniste (often called Beurre Spence) is of a large 



PEARS. 



129 



size, flesh melting, with a sweet, well-flavored juice, and 
may be regarded as one of the very best pears. In Scotland 
ripens against a south wall in October ; on standards in 
November. 

The Colmar is also a first-rate pear, with a white flesh, 
and of high flavor. In Scotland the tree requires a south 
or west wall. From this the Poire d'Auch of the Conti- 
nent seems scarcely to difi'er. It keeps till February or 
March. 

The Passe Colmar is an admirable Flemish variety 
lately introduced into this country ; of excellent flavor ; 
hardier, and a more abundant bearer than the preceding, 
and more easily ripened, either against walls or on stand- 
ards. It seems well adapted for flat espaliers. The 
fruit is in maturity in December and January, and extends 
into February. 

The Glout Morceau (or Beurre d'Hardenpont) is excel- 
lent, from a wall, in December and January. It has also 
been found successful as a standard. 

The Winter Beurre, is in season in January and Feb- 
ruary. The Ne plus Mcuris is good on standards, and 
keeps till March, and the tree is a free bearer. 

The Easter Beurre. — Fruit large, obovate, green and 
brown; flesh whitish-yellow, melting, and well flavored. 
" It is," says Mr. Thompson, " hardy, and a good bearer ; 
one of the most valuable spring sorts, compared with which 
the early pears of short duration deserve not a wall ; its 
extensive cultivation for a long and late supply is, without 
hesitation, strongly recommended." In season from Janu- 
ary to March. As the tree ripens its wood readily, it suc- 
ceeds as a low standard, or trained to an espalier rail, even 
in Scotland. But the experience of gardeners in the north 
does not lead them to rank the fruit so high as Mr. Thomp- 



130 FRUIT GARDEN. 

son does, as, when trained against a south wall, it often 
proves dry or mealy with little flavor. 

Beurre Diet (named after a distinguished German po- 
mologist) is a large handsome fruit, of the first quality, 
coming in season in November and December from the 
wall, and in January from standards. Mr. Thompson re- 
marks that its branches should be kept rather thin, its 
large and abundant foliage being apt to prevent the due 
admission of sun and air to the fruit. , 

Beurre Ranee, or de Ranz. — A Flemish variety, raised 
by the late M. Hardenpont, and sometimes called Harden- 
pont du printemps ; " the best very late sort yet known," 
(Hort. Cat.) It ripens with difficulty in Scotland, requir- 
ing a south or west wall ; but was found to be the best 
pear produced in competition at a March meeting of the 
Caledonian Horticultural Society. It resembles the col- 
mars, but keeps longer. 

The following, respecting which our limits will not per- 
mit us to go into detail, may be considered highly valuable 
sorts as late autumnal and winter pears ; Autumn Colmar, 
Delices d'Hardenpont, Fondante d'Automne, Beurr6 Bosc, 
Duhamel, Bezi de la Motte, Chaumontelle, Downton, 
« Louise Bonne of Jersey, Swiss Bergamot, Hacon's In- 
comparable, Winter Nelis, Swan Egg, Doyenne gris, and 
Flemish Beauty. The St. Germain and Windsor may be 
added ; but the trees are rather liable to canker. 

The Forelle is one of the most beautiful pears ; but it is 
deficient in the more excellent quality of flavor. 

The late Mr, Knight of Downton raised the following 
new varieties, which are justly held in high repute : Mon- 
arch, March Bergamot, Brougham, Oakley Park, Croft 
Castle, and the Broompark, which last is not only excel- 
lent but remarkably hardy. 



PEARS. 131 

Of the Kitchen Sorts, or stewing pears, we may name 
the Double-fleur, Orange d'Hiver, Catillac, Uvedale's St. 
Germain or Belle de J ersey, and the Gros de Lyons. The 
trees are placed against inferior walls, or trained to espalier 
rails, or kept as dwarf standards. The Uvedale's St. Ger- 
main fruit often attains a very large size, especially against 
a wall ; but the Double-fleur is equal in size, and superior 
in quality. 

Pear trees are grafted either on what are called free- 
stocks, or on dwarfing-stocks ; for the former, which are 
intended for full-sized trees, the seeds of the wilding-pear 
should be sown ; but frequently the pips of the perry-pears, 
and sometimes of the common cultivated sorts are used. 
For dwarfing the quince is preferred ; but the white thorn, 
as already mentioned, is occasionally employed. Where 
the space is limited, or the ground is damp, the dwarfing- 
stocks are the more suitable. It is a favorite doctrine with 
some, that by budding or grafting on quince or hawthorn, 
pears of too melting and sugary a quality acquire firmness 
and acidity. To what extent this holds good has not been 
correctlv ascertained, but that the stock exerts a certain 
degree of influence on the fruit is beyond dispute. Some 
of the finer pears do not take so readily on the quince : in 
this case double working is resorted to. For example, the 
Virgoleuse may be easily budded on the quince, and the 
Beurre d'Aremberg will afterwards succeed freely only on the 
Virgouleuse. It may be mentioned, in passing, that the 
ancient horticulturists seem to have supposed that a fruit 
was improved by double working ; and that the term 
reinette, a name applied to a class of apples, is considered 
as having been derived from the Latin re7tata, that is, a 
tree grafted upon itself. 

In selecting young pear trees, some prefer maiden plants. 



132 FRUIT GARDEN. 

that is, plants having the growth of one year from the 
graft ; but if good trees, trained for two or three years, can 
be procured, so much the better. It is important to ascer- 
tain that the stock and stem be clean and healthy, and to 
take great care that no injury be done by bruising or tear- 
ing the roots in lifting and removing. The young trees 
may be planted at any time, in mild weather, from the fall 
of the leaf to the beginning of March. Wall-trees require 
from 25 to 30 feet of lineal space when on free-stocks, and 
from 15 to 20 feet when dwarfed. Standards on free-stocks 
in the orchard should be allowed at least 30 feet every way, 
while for dwarfs 15 feet may suffice. When the trees are 
trained en pyramide or en quenouille^ they may stand 
within eight feet of each other. It is very desirable that 
the pear orchard should be in a warm situation, with a soil 
deep, substantial, and well drained, or free from injurious 
latent moisture. Without attention to these circumstances, 
pear trees seldom succeed. 

The fruit is produced on spurs, which appear on shoots 
more than one year old ; the object of the pruner, therefore, 
ought to be to procure a fair supply of these spurs. The 
mode of training wall pear-trees most commonly adopted is 
the horizontal; but each of the forms already mentioned 
(pp. 52, 53) has its advantages, and is peculiarly adapted 
to some particular habit of growth in the several varieties. 
For the St. Germain and other twiggy sorts, the fan form 
is to be preferred ; for the Gansel's Bergamot and other 
strong growers, the half-fan or the horizontal. . In the latter 
form the trees may often be found fifteen, twenty, or even 
thirty years old, during which time they acquire an undue 
projection from the wall, and become scraggy and unman- 
ageable. On the other hand, the finest fruit is produced 
on young spurs, clearly indicating the necessity of a fre- 



PEARS. 133 

quent renovation of the spurs. This would lead to a prefer- 
ence of the fan form, not, indeed, that which is commonly 
practiced, for in it the spurs are as immovable as in any 
other arrangement; but rather that recommended for 
peaches, in which there is a continual renewal of the 
branches. Or, if the horizontal form, which has certain 
advantages, be adopted, it should be that modification ex- 
hibited in p. 57 h. This is the method followed by Harri- 
son in treating the Jargonell. 

The summer pruning of established wall or espalier rail- 
trees, consists chiefly in the timely displacing or rubbing 
off the superfluous shoots, retaining only those which are 
terminal or well placed for lateral branches. Where spurs 
are wanted on the older wood, about two inches of a fore- 
right shoot are left ; and if this be done early, that is, be- 
fore the shoot has become ligneous, it seldom fails to form 
fruit-buds. In horizontal training the winter pruning is 
nothing more than adjusting the leading shoots and thin- 
ning out the spurs, which should be kept close to the wall 
and allowed to retain only two, or at most three buds. In 
fan-training the subordinate branches must be regulated, the 
spurs thinned out, and the young laterals which had been 
loosely nailed in during summer must be finally established 
in their places. No crowding of branches should be per- 
mitted. When horizontal trees have fallen into disorder 
they may be renovated in the manner represented at p. 57 a, 
a procedure patronized by Mr. Knight ; or all the branches 
may be cut back to within nine inches of the vertical stem 
and branch, and trained in afresh as recommended by Mr. 
Lindley. 

When some of the finer pear trees produce an abundance 
of blossom, but do not set well, as not unfrequently hap- 
pens, artificial impregnation may be partially resorted to ; 



134 FRUIT GARDEN 

that is, the blossom of some other kind of pear, plentifully 
provided with pollen, may be taken, and the farina dusted 
over the best looking blossoms of the less productive tree. 

Summer and autumn pears should be gathered before they 
be fully ripe, otherwise they will not in general keep more 
than a few days. The Jargonelle, as Forsyth rightly ad- 
vises, should be allowed to remain on the tree and pulled 
daily as wanted, the standard fruit thus succeeding the pro- 
duce of the wall-trees. In reference to the Crasanne, Mr. 
Lindley recommends gathering the crop at three different 
times, the first a fortnight or more before it be ripe, the se- 
cond a week or ten days after, and a third when fully ripe. 
The first gathering will come into eating latest, and thus the 
season of the fruit may be considerably prolonged. It is 
evident that the same method may be followed with the 
Brown Beurre, Gansel's Bergamot, and any others which 
continue only a short time in a mature state. 

The varieties, qualities, and relative merits of this fruit 
seem to have drawn very particular attention from the 
National Congress of Fruit-growers, at their several meet- 
ings up to and including that in Boston in September, 1854, 
when they adopted the following list, as including those of 
the highest merits, viz : 

The Madeleine, Beurre d'Aremberg, 

Dearborn's Seedling, Kostiezer, 

Bloodgood, Belle Lucratif, or Fondante d'Au- 

Tyson, tomne, 

Golden Beurre of Bilboa, Fulton, 

Williams's Bon Chretien, or Bartlett, Andrews 

Seckel, Buffum, 

Flemish Beauty, Urbaniste, 

Beurre Bosc, Vicar of Winkfield (or Le Cure), 

Winter Nelis, Louise Bonne de Jersey, 



PEARS. 



135 



Uvedale's St. Germain, 
Ananas d'Ete, 
Lawrence, 
Beurre d' Anjou, 



AND rOR BAKING, 

Doyenne d'Ete, 

Manning's Elizabeth and Paradise 

d'Automne. 
Beurre Diel. 



For particular localities, the White Doyenne, and Grey Doyenne, com- 
monly known as Butter Pears. 

PEARS ON QUINCE STOCK. 

Napoleon, 
Nouveau Poiteau, 
Rostiezer, 



Belle Lucrative, 
Beurre d'Amalis, 
Beurre d' Anjou, 
Beurre d'Aremberg, 
Beurre Diel, 
Catillac, 

Duchess d'Angouleme, 
Easter Beurre, 
Figue d'Alencon, 
Glout Morceau, 
Long Green of Cox, 
Louisa Bon de Jersey, 

To this list of pears of highest qualities, the same body 
added the following, as giving promise of being worthy to 
be placed on the list recommended for general cultivation : 



Beurre Laugelier, 

Soldat Laboreur, 

St. Michael Archange, 

Triomphe de Jodoigne, 

Urbaniste, 

Uvedale's St. Germain for Baking, 

Vicar of Winkfield, 

White Doyenne. 



Duchesse d' Orleans, 

Brandywine, 

Chancellor, 

Brande's St. Germain, 

Pratt, 

Ott, 

Striped Madeleine, 

Jalousie de Fontenay Vendee, 

Van Assene, 

Doyenne Boussock. 

Adams, 

Alpha, 

Beurre Clairgeau, 

Beurre Giflfard, 

Beurre Steikman, 

Beurre Superfine, 

Charles Van Hoogten, 



Duchess de Berry, 

Epine Dumas, 

Fondante de Malines, 

Fondante de Noel, 

Walker, 

Eowell, 

Kingsessing, 

Kirtland, 

Limon, 

Lodge of Penn, 

Nouveau Poiteau, 

Onondaga, 

Pius IX. 

Rouselette d'Esperin, 

Sheldon, 

St. Michael Archange, 

Steven's Genesee, 



1.36 FRUIT GARDEN. 

Collins, Striped Madeleine, 

Comte de Flandera, Theodore Van Mons, 

Doyenne Goubalt, Van Assene or Van Assche, 

Beurre St, Nicholas, Zephyrine Gregoire. 

It is worthy of notice that some of the very best pears 
known in the United States have originated in the vicinity 
of the city of Philadelphia ; as, for example, the far-re- 
nowned Seckel, the Washington, the Ott, the Tyson, and 
the Chancellor. 

Grafted on the quince, the pear tree does not generally 
live long in the United States, especially where the soil is 
dry, as the quince succeeds best in a moist loamy soil, and 
pears grafted upon their stalks would doubtless also do far 
better on such soils than when placed in sandy, gravelly, 
or other dry situations. 

The Apple tree {Pyrus Malus) is, under the name of 
the Crab, known as a native of Britain. Most of the cul- 
tivated sorts, however, are of foreign origin, and it does 
not seem probable that we possess at present any good 
variety which is more than two hundred years old. The 
finer high-flavored apples are prized for the dessert ; the 
juicy and poignant sorts are in request for tarts and sauce ; 
while those of a more austere nature are manufactured into 
cider. 

Several kinds of stocks are used for apple trees. The 
Dutch Paradise^ propagated by layers, has long been used 
as a stock for Dwarf apple trees, whether intended for the 
wall or for standards. The Doucin of the French seems 
closely allied to this, if not identical with it. The bur- 
knot varieties increased by cuttings, or young codlin plants 
procured from layers, furnish convenient stocks for trees 
from which it is hoped to procure desirable seedlings. For 
common purposes, the stocks raised from the pips of crabs 



APPLES. 137 

or of cider apples are preferred. Stocks kept one or two 
years in nurserj-lines are fit for grafting upon ; but if a 
considerably tall stem be wished, they must remain three 
or four years in the nursery, and be pruned up, till they 
attain five or six feet of height. In the Dutch nurseries, 
where apple trees are trained for some years to the cup- 
shape, the table, the pyramidal, or the bulb forms, before 
they be sold to the public, the trees are repeatedly trans- 
planted; but with us, where such forms are less sought 
after, the utility of more transplantations than from the 
seed-bed to the nursery-lines, and thence to the garden, 
may, in Mr. Knight's opinion, be questioned. Any com- 
mon soil, provided the subsoil be dry, suits the apple tree. 
Shallow planting should, in all cases, be practiced, and 
young trees should be carefully staked, to prevent wind- 
waving. 

The fruit, as in the pear tree, is produced on spurs, 
which come out on the branchlets of two or more years' 
growth, and continue fertile for a series of years. There 
is, therefore, no very material difference in the pruning 
and training of the pear and of the apple tree. On walls, 
the horizontal mode of training is commonly followed, as 
best calculated to repress the too vigorous growth of the 
tree : but for the nonpareil, and other twiggy varieties, 
perhaps the fan form, or some modification of the fan form, 
is preferable. For standards, where the soil is rich and 
the growth rapid, all that is necessary in pruning is to 
thin out the branches, and to prevent their crossing and 
rubbing against each other. Where there is little luxu- 
riance, as in the case of all dwarfs, it is useful to shorten 
the branches occasionally, and to remove useless twigs. 
Dwarfs on paradise stocks may be treated almost like cur- 
rant-bushes ; that is, making them open in the centre, or 



138 FRUIT GARDEN 

cup-shaped, to the great advantage both of the size and 
beauty of the fruit. The general winter pruning may take 
place any time from the beginning of November to the 
beginning of March. After the winter pruning, some cul- 
tivators delay the shortening of the young wood of the 
former year till the middle or end of April, when the buds 
have swollen. Cankered or diseased wood, and all un- 
fruitful snags or ragged spurs, are then to be neatly cut 
out. Where the scars are large, they should be laid over 
with some composition calculated to resist the action of 
the air and rain. 

If the American blight, or woolly aphis (the Eriosoma 
Mali of Leach) makes its appearance on a tree, the utmost 
care should be taken to clean every part of the bark with 
a hard brush and some searching wash ; for, should the 
insect be left unmolested, it will speedily spread over all 
the apple trees in the neighborhood. It is often intro- 
duced with imported trees brought from distant nurseries : 
when this is observed, the pest is so grievous that the 
entire sacrifice of two or three trees is a small price to pay 
for its removal. Mr. Waterton, in his Essays on Natural 
History, recommends a simple remedy, which he found 
efi'ectual, viz., mix clay with water till it be of a consis- 
tency to be applied like thick paint to the injured parts, 
either with a trowel or a brush ; a second coat upon the 
first fills up every crack which may show itself when the 
first coat becomes dry; the clay resists for a sufficient 
length of time the efi'ects both of sun and rain, and before 
it gradually falls off every insect is completely smothered. 

For the Storing of Pears and Apples there should be 
attached to every considerable garden a commodious fruit- 
room, well ventilated, furnished with fire-places or stoves 
to exclude frost, and fitted up with a variety of shelves. 



APPLES. 139 

A northern aspect is the most suitable ; and it is also 
desirable that there should be a dry, cool cellar under it, 
to be employed in retarding the maturation and decay of 
some of the more fugitive varieties. All the fruit intended 
for keeping should be plucked with the hand, or with such 
an implement as the fruit-gatherer invented by Mr. Saul, 
of Lancaster. For the finer dessert fruits the shelves 
should be made of hard wood, not of fir, and the fruit 
should be laid upon cartridge or writing paper, to prevent 
its imbibing any taint from the wood. The kitchen fruit 
may be kept in layers two or three deep, but not in heaps, 
and should be occasionally examined, when decaying fruit 
is to be removed. The sweating of apples and pears, for- 
merly much practiced, is now abandoned, as being attended 
with no useful efi'ects. 

In the United States, this most valuable of all fruits is 
of universal culture, although it attains to highest perfec- 
tion in the Middle and some of the Northern States. The 
catalogue of the apple of the London Horticultural Soci- 
ety, including no less than 1,400 varieties, shows an im- 
mense increase since the days of Pliny, when only twenty- 
two were named. Of the kinds which have been intro- 
duced into the United States from abroad, many of great 
value are found in various parts of the country : the fol- 
lowing have been pronounced of the highest merit by the 
National Congress of Fruit-growers held up to 1854 : 

Early Harvest, Vandervere, 

Large Yellow Bough, White Seek-no-further, 

American Summer Pearmain, William's Favorite (except for 

Summer Rose, light soils). 

Early Strawberry, Wine Apples or Hays, 

Gravenstein, Ladies' Sweet, 

Fall Pippin, Lady Apple, 

Rhode Island Greening, Fameuse Danvers Winter Sweet, 



140 



1 


FRUIT GARDEN. 


Baldwin, 


Rullock's Pippin, 


Roxbury Russet, 


Hubbardston's Nonsuch. 


Melon, 


And for particular localities — 


Minister, 


Yellow Belle Fleur, 


Porter, 


Esopus Spitzenburg, 


Red Astrachan, 


Newtown Pippin, 


Swaar, 


Canada Red Northern Spy. 



TABLE APPLES. 

The earliest and best of these are the following : The 
Early Harvest^ which, in the climate of New York, begins 
to ripen in the end of July, is of good size, yellow, tender 
flesh, rich subacid pleasant flavor. Tree erect and good 
bearer. 

The Early Bough. — A large, yellow, sweet, tender, 
juicy, excellent apple — tree a good bearer, and ripens in 
August. 

The Red Astrachan is another very fine early apple — 
ripens in August. It is rather large ; crimson, rich acid 
and handsome. Tree a good bearer and ripens in August, 

The Early Strawberry and Early Joe are smaller but 
delicious apples — ripen with the Red Astrachan in Au- 
gust. Next in season comes the Summer Rose, a fine ap- 
ple, and this is followed by the Gravenstem, Fall Pippin, 
Autmnn Strawberry, Hawley, Dyer, Northern Sweet and 
Porter. 

Among our winter apples the most productive and one 
of the best is the Khode Island Greening, next Baldwin, 
Roxbury Russet and Golden Russet, long keepers. E. 
Spitseuburgh, Yellow Bell flower, Swaar, Jonathan, King, 
Northern Spy, (Norton's melon and Wagener delicate table 
apples,) Red Canada, Vandervere, Ladies, Bailey, and 
Talman Sweet, and last but best for export, Newtown Pip- 
pin, which is only productive in some localities, or with 
high cultivation. 



QUINCE. 141 

Under favorable circumstances of climate and soil, the 
apple tree attains to great age. In Herefordshire, Eng- 
land, there are said to be trees 1,000 years old. The ordi- 
nary, or perhaps average duration of healthy trees grafted 
on crab stocks and planted in a strong tenacious soil, has 
been computed by Mr. Knight — a great English authority 
upon such subjects — at 200 years. Old trees headed down 
to standard height, the branches being topped ofif within a 
foot or two of the trunk, and the young shoots grafted 
upon, may thus be made productive in a very short time. 

Of American apples, the best for the English climate is 
the Boston Russet. Mr. Thompson states that the tree is 
quite hardy, very productive, and suitable for dwarf train- 
ing ; the fruit juicy, with a flavor between that of the Rib- 
stone and Nonpareil, and in season from December till 
April. The Newton, or Long Island Pippin, seldom comes 
to perfection in Britain. 

There are three kinds of the Paradise apple used by 
nurserymen for grafting upon to produce dwarf trees. The 
smallest is commonly known as the French Paradise. 
Next comes the common English Paradise, which is rather 
larger, and the largest of all the dwarf Paradise apples is 
what the French call Doiccin. 

The Quince (Pyrus Cydonia)^ allied to the apple, is a 
native of the south of Germany. It is but little cultivat- 
ed in Britain. The fruit, which is austere when raw, is 
well calculated for giving flavor and poignancy to stewed 
or baked apples. The two principal sorts are the Portugal 
Quince and the Pear Quince, of which the latter is the 
most productive, while it serves the usual culinary pur- 
poses equally well as the other. Quinces may be propa- 
gated by layers, or by cuttings, or by graftings. Two or 



142 FRUIT GARDEN. 

three trees planted in the slip or orchard are in general 
sufficient. In Scotland, the fruit seldom approaches ma- 
turity, unless favored by a wall. 

In the United States, the quince grows almost every- 
where, although it does best in a mellow soil retentive of 
moisture, and in situations partially shaded. The tree 
may be propagated by grafting, and also by cuttings and 
layers. It is of slow growth, much branched, and generally 
crooked : when planted in an orchard the trees may be 
placed ten or twelve feet apart. 

The following named kinds are best known in the United 
States : The Pear Quince, so named for its pyriform shape ; 
the Apple Quince, from its rounder form; the Portugal 
Quince, the taste of which is less harsh than that which 
generally distinguishes other quinces. When made into 
marmalade, its pulp has the property of assuming a beau- 
tiful purple hue. For these qualities, the fruit is highly 
esteemed, although the tree is a shy bearer. 

The Mild or Eatable Quince is still less austere than 
the other kinds. The Orange Quince, besides being a 
handsome fruit, possesses a fine flavor. The Musk or Pine- 
apple Quince is very large and beautiful. 

The Medlar (Mespilus Germanica) is a native of the 
south of Europe, but has been naturalized in some parts 
of the south of England. The varieties worth notice are 
the Dutch Medlar, with broad leaves ; and the Nottingham 
Medlar, with narrow leaves ; of these the latter is consider- 
ed the best. The fruit is gathered in November, and kept 
till it begins to decay, when it is served up in the dessert, 
and highly relished by some. The treatment recommend- 
ed for the quince may be applied to the medlar. 

The trees of this family are very handsome, and deserve 



MULBERRY. 143 

a place in every shrubbery. Any common soil suits them, 
and they are readily propagated by budding or grafting on 
the common hawthorn, or by the seeds, which, however, do 
not come up till the second year. The common medlar is 
found growing wild in English hedges, and in this state 
has thorns which disappear under culture. Several varie- 
ties have been produced differing in size and flavor. The 
fruit has a harsh taste, which unfits it for eating until it 
has been mellowed by long keeping. 

The Service Tree (Pyrus dotnestica) is a native of 
the mountainous parts of Cornwall, and though not much 
cultivated, may be here noticed. The fruit has a peculiar 
acid flavor, and is used only when thoroughly mellowed by 
keeping. There is a pear-shaped, and also an apple-shaped 
variety, both of which may be propagated by layers, and 
still better by grafting on seedling plants of their own 
kind. Two or three trees may have a place in the orchard, 
or perhaps in a sheltered corner of the lawn. . The tree is 
seldom productive till it have arrived at a goodly age. 
The fruit is brought to Covent Garden Market in winter ; 
but it is never seen at Edinburgh. Near Paris, the tree 
is a good deal cultivated under the name of cornier ; and 
there are a number of varieties of the Service grown in the 
north of Italy. 

The Mulberry (Morus nigra) is a native of Persia, and 
in England requires a warm sheltered situation. The 
fruit is in request for the dessert during the months of 
August and September, having a rich aromatic flavor, and 
a fine subacid juice. Where it is abundant, wine is made 
from it. In Devonshire, a little of the juice added to full- 
bodied cider, produces a delicious beverage, called Mulber- 



144 FRUIT GARDEN. 

ry Cider, wblcb retains its flavor for many months. The 
mulberry is propagated by cuttings or by layers, but, to 
expedite the production of fruit, it is useful to inarch small 
bearing branches on stocks prepared in flower-pots. Mul- 
berry standard trees succeed only in the southern coun- 
ties. These require no other training than an occasional 
thinning out of the branches. They are generally planted 
on grassy lawns, so that when ripe fruit falls from th« 
higher branches, it can be gathered up without having sus- 
tained injury. In the middle districts, espalier rails may 
be employed, particularly under the reflection of a south 
wall. In colder situations, the mulberry must be treated 
as a wall-tree ; and it has been recommended that the bear- 
ing shoots should be trained perpendicularly downwards. 
Mr. Knight strongly advises the forcing of this fruit in 
flower-pots, much in the same way as is done with figs. 
The mulberry as a fruit is little known in Scotland ; but 
a few aged trees exist in old gardens, and in favorable sea- 
sons afi'ord their berries. 

The Hazel (Corylus Avellana)^ one of the indigenous 
edible nuts of England, is the original parent of the red 
and white Filbert, Cobnut, Crossford-nut, Frizzled, Span- 
ish, and other improved varieties. These succeed best on 
a rich dry loam, carefully worked, and receiving from time 
to time a slight manuring. They are generally planted in 
the slip, but thrive best in a quarter by themselves. The 
varieties are propagated by layers or by suckers; but 
where there are stocks of the common hazel, the other kinds 
may be grafted upon them. The Cosford is generally pre- 
ferred, being thin-shelled, and having a kernel of high 
flavor. If the Filbert or the Cosford be grafted on small 
stocks of the Spanish nut, which grows fast, and does not 



JIAZEL. 145 

send out sid«-suckers, dwarfish prolific trees may be ob- 
tained ; and by pruning the roots in autumn, the trees 
may be kept dwarf. 

The neighborhood of Maidstone in Kent has long been 
celebrated for the culture of nuts for the London market ; 
and as the best Kentish practice is scarcely known in other 
parts of Britain, we may enter a little into detail. The 
young plants are almost^ always suckers from old bushes, 
and are planted about ten or twelve feet apart. They are 
suffered to grow without restraint for about three years, 
and are then cut down to within a few inches of the ground. 
They push out five or six shoots ; and these in their second 
year are shortened one-third. A hoop is then placed with- 
in the branches, and the shoots are fastened to it at nearly 
equal distances. In the spring of the fourth year, all the 
laterals are cut off close by the principal stems, and from 
these cut places short shoots proceed, on which fruit is ex- 
pected in the following year. Those which have borne 
fruit are removed by the knife, and an annual supply of 
young skoots is thus obtained. The leading shoots are 
always shortened about two-thirds, and every bearing twig 
is deprived of its top. In the early spring-pruning, atten- 
tion should be given that a supply of male blossoms be 
left, and all suckers should be carefully eradicated. These 
Kentish nut-plantations somewhat resemble large quarters 
of gooseberry bushes, few of the trees exceeding six feet 
in height. For additional information, the reader may be 
referred to a paper on this subject by the Rev. Mr. Wil- 
liamson, in the fourth volume of the Transactions of the 
London Horticultural Society. 

The English Filbert has not, as yet, been cultivated with 
much interest or success in the United States, the woods 
of which, however, produce a native hazel nut, which, by 



146 FRUIT GARDEN. 

judicious culture and perhaps hybridizing with the Euro 
pean Filbert, might be made a desirable fruit, equal to and 
perhaps superior to any kind known at the present day, 
Mr. Downing has published a paper upon the culture of 
the filbert in the United States, to the soil and climate of 
which he thinks the varieties known in England as Cosford, 
Frizzled, and Northampton Prolific, best adapted. When 
gathered ripe, filberts will keep and retain a good flavor 
longer than any other kind of nut. In dry rooms they 
will keep well for many years, whilst in air-tight jars thej 
may be kept an indefinite period. 

The Walnut [Juglans regza) is a native of Persia and 
the south of the Caucasus, and in Britain, therefore, the 
fruit seldom comes to complete maturity, except in the 
warmer districts. Besides the common walnut, there are 
several varieties cultivated in England, particularly the 
Large-fruited or Double Walnut, the Tender-shelled, and 
the Thetford or Highflyer, which last is said (Lond. Hort. 
Trans., iv., 517) to be "by far the best walnut grown." 
The varieties can be propagated with certainty only by 
budding or inoculating 5 but the operation is rather nice, 
and not unfrequently fails. Mr. Knight's method is de- 
scribed in the London Transactions, vol. iii. p. 133. 
Plants raised from the seed seldom become productive till 
they be twenty years old. The fruit is produced at the 
extremities of the shoots of the preceding year ; and there- 
fore, in gathering the crop, care should be taken not to in- 
jure the young wood. In Kent, the trees are thrashed 
with rods or poles ; but this is rough, and far from being 
a commendable mode of collecting the nuts. 

The Chestnut ( Castanea vesca), like the preceding, has 



y 



CURRANTS. 147 

long been an inmate of the woods of England, in which it 
grows to a great size ; but it seldom ripens its fruit in the 
northern parts of the island. Several varieties, remarka- 
ble for their productiveness and early bearing, have of late 
years risen into notice ; particularly Knight's Prolific, the 
New Prolific, and the Devonshire. These are propagated 
by grafting upon stocks raised from nuts ; and when grafts 
are taken from bearing wood, fruit may be produced in a 
couple of years. The tree thrives best on a dry subsoil. 

This tree is by no means so extensively cultivated in the 
United States as it deserves to be. The wild chestnuts of 
the forests are very abundant and very sweet. But they 
are far surpassed in size by the varieties brought from Eu- 
rope, the product of which bear a very high price in the 
markets of American cities. They are readily propagated 
from seed of excellent quality, but the most select varieties 
must be procured through grafting and budding. Some 
English catalogues contain 30 or 40 varieties of cultivated 
chestnuts. The American Chinquapin is a very small spe- 
cies of chestnut, not flattened but rounded, and terminating 
at one extremity in a point. It is very common in the 
woods of the Southern States, and southern portions of 
some of the Middle States, growing about 20 to 30 feet in 
height. The Chinquapin is very sweet and agreeable to 
the taste, and deserves cultivation, selling well in the 
market. 



SMALL FRUITS. 

The Red, White, and Black Currant, the Grooseberry, 
the Raspberry, the Strawberry, and Cranberry, are usually 
cultivated in English gardens, under the title of Small 
Fruits. Their economical uses in cookery, confectionery, 



V. 



148 FRUIT GAREiliN. 

and in the manufacture of home-made wines, attach to 
them considerable importance, and render desirable a sepa- 
rate account of them, however brief. 

The Rides ruhruin^ Lin., includes as its varieties the Red 
and White Currants. The principal subvarieties are : 

Common Red, Champagne, 

Red Dutch, Common White, 

Knight's Sweet Red, Dutch White. 

Red and white currants are readily propagated by cut- 
tings. They succeed in any sort of common garden soil \ 
but seem to thrive best in warm, moist situations, where 
they enjoy an abundance of air. A few plants are some- 
times placed against walls on which they are trained per- 
pendicularly. Currants are sometimes planted in single 
lines, in the borders which separate the plots in the kitchen 
garden ; but it is generally better to confine them to com- 
partments by themselves. In these they should be ar- 
ranged in quincunx order, at six feet between the lines, and 
six feet apart in the line. They may be transplanted at 
any time between the fall of the leaf and the first move- 
ment of the sap. They are trained as bushes, from single 
stems of about a foot in height, care being taken to prevent 
the main branches from crossing each other. In winter, the 
young bearing wood on the sides of the branches is shortened 
down into spurs, from an inch to two inches in length. The 
leading shoots are left about six inches long. Some care- 
ful cultivators reduce the young shoots to about half their 
length as soon as the fruit begins to color, an operation 
which, in consequence of the more free admission of sun, is 
found to increase the size and improve the flavor of the berries. 

Of Ribes nigrum, Lin., or black current, there are seve- 
ral varieties, of which we need mention only the Common 



GOOSEBERRIES. 149 

Black, and tlie Black Naples. The latter is accounted the 
preferable sort. The black currant thrives best in a moist, 
deep soil, and shady situation. Its culture is much the 
same as that of the other currants, but the young shoots 
are not spurred. All the pruning necessary is to keep the 
branches free of each other, and to promote a succession of 
young wood. 

The American Congress of Fruit-growers at its meeting 
in the city of New York in 1849, recommended the follow- 
ing as the best varieties of currants for cultivation : Red 
Dutch, Black Naples, White Dutch, May's Victoria, and 
White Gi-rape. 

The Gooseberry. — Botanists distinguished two species; 
Ribes Grossularia^ or rough-fruited gooseberry ; and Ribes 
uva crispa^ or smooth-fruited gooseberry. The gooseberry 
has always been a favorite fruit in Great Britain, and is 
said to be produced in the middle districts of the island in 
greater perfection than in any other part of the world. 
Many very large sorts have originated in Lancashire, where 
the culture has been carried to a high degree of refinement ; 
but it is to be regretted that weight seems, unreasonably 
enough, to be regarded in the prize competitions in that 
duchy as the sole criterion of excellence. Berries of twenty 
or even twenty-four pennyweights are boasted of ; but such 
Goliaths are almost always inferior in flavor. The follow- 
ing are some of those sorts recommended in the catalogue 
of the London Horticultural Society. 

Red. — Red Champagne, Ironmonger, Rob Roy, Small 
Red Globe, Keen's Seedling, Lord of the Manor, Leigh's 
Rifleman, Red Warrington, Wellington's Glory, Shipley 'a 
Black Prince. 

Yellow. — Yellow Ashton, Yellow Champagne, Golden 



150 FRUIT GARDEN. 

Yellow, Smiling Beauty, Smooth Yellow, Yellow-smith, 
Rumbullion, 

White. — Bright Yenus, 'White Champagne, Cheshire 
Lass, White Crystal, White Damson, Whitesmith, White 
Honey. 

Greeii. — Green Gascoigne, Pitmaston, Green-gage, Lang- 
ley Green, Late Green, Green Laurel, Gregory's Perfec- 
tion, Green Walnut, Jolly Tar, Cupper's Bonny Lass. 

In forming his collection, the horticulturist should espe- 
cially select a few early and a few late sorts, and by pro- 
perly disposing the bushes in various situations in his gar- 
den, he may prolong the fruit season by several weeks. 
The same object may be further promoted by defending the 
fruit of the late sorts from the attacks of wasps, which is 
accomplished by surrounding the bushes with bunting (the 
thin stuff of which ships' flags are often made) ; and also 
by retarding the ripening of the fruit, which is done by 
covering up the bushes with bast-mats. This last contriv 
ance, however, answers better with currants than with 
gooseberries. 

The gooseberry-bush affects a loose rich soil, which 
readily imbibes but does not retain much moisture. 
Gooseberries, like currants, may be grown in lines or com- 
partments. They are propagated by cuttings, and may be 
transplanted, in open weather, during any of the winter 
months. They are trained with single stems, from six 
inches, to a foot high ; and all suckers, which are apt to 
spring up from the roots should be carefully removed. 
Formerly it was the practice in Scotland to spur all the 
annual wood ; but now the black currant system of pruning 
is more generally and advantageously followed. The ground 
on which the bushes stand is carefully digged once a year ; 
and manure, when necessary, is at the same time added. No 



RASPBERRY. 151 

fartlier culture is requisite than keeping down weeds, and 
preventing the extensive ravages of caterpillars. This last 
object is best attained by employing persons (women and 
children) to pick them off on their first appearance. Goose- 
berry plants are sometimes trained on walls or espaliers, 
to accelerate the ripening, or increase the size of the fruit; 
In the United States : 

Houghton Seedling; Boaring Lion, and 

Woodward's Whitesmith, Sheba Queen, 

comprise a good selection for use. The Congress of Fruit 
Growers have recommended 

Crown Bob, Early Sulphur, 

Green Gage, Green Walnut, 

Houghton Seedling, Iron Monger, 

•Laurel Eed Champagne, Washington, 
Woodward Whitesmith. 

The Baspberry {Rubus Idcms) is, like the preceding 
small fruits, a native of Great Britian. The principal 
varieties are ;- 

Red Antwerp, Knevett's Giant, 

Yellow Antwerp, Cornish, 

FalstaflF, Williams' Double Bearing. 

Of these, the first two have never been surpassed, and are 
generally sufficient for all common purposes. Raspberries 
are propagated from suckers, which are planted in rows 
five or six feet apart, and at three feet from each other in 
the rows. The fruit is produced on small branches which 
proceed from the shoots of the former year. Every year 
they throw up a number of shoots or canes from the root, 
which bear fruit the subsequent year, and then decay. In 
■dressing the plants in winter, all the decayed stalks are cut 
away^ and of the young canes only three or four of the 



152 FRUIT GARDEN". 

strongest are left, which are shortened about a third. As 
the stalks are too weak to stand bj themselves, they are 
sometimes connected together by the points in the manner 
of arches, so as to antagonize and mutually support each 
other, and sometimes they are attached to stakes. Perhaps 
the best support is obtained by fastening the points of the 
shoots to a slight horizontal rail or bar about four feet high, 
and placed a foot and a half on the south side of the rows. 
By this means the bearing shoots are deflected from the 
perpendicular to the sunny side of the row, and are not 
shaded by the annual wood. The ground between the rows 
should be well digged in winter, and kept clean. Fresh plan- 
tations of raspberries should be made every six or seven years. 
The double-bearing varieties, which continue to bear during 
autumn, require light soils and warm situations. It may 
be mentioned that the crop of any of the varieties may be 
retarded by breaking off the points of the bearing shoots at 
an early period in spring ; but, like all other fruits, the 
flavor of the raspberry is highest when it is allowed to 
ripen at its natural season. 

Although several varieties of this fruit are found growing 
wild in the United States, some of which are exceedingly 
fine flavored, as for example, those abounding in the north- 
ern states and British provinces, still the best cultivated 
kinds have been brought from Europe. Nichol enumer- 
ates twenty-three varieties, among which are the American 
red and black, the Long Island, the Virginia, the Ohio 
ever-bearing, and the Pennsylvania. Some of the Ameri- 
can varieties may be propagated by layers, so as to pro- 
duce fruit the second year. New kinds of choice qualities 
from the seed of the best European, often hybridized with 
native American varieties, are produced in the United 



BLACKBERRY, 



153 



States. One of the most successful culturlsts is Dr. Wm. 
Brinckle, of Philadelphia, who has origiuated many kinds 
of the highest merit, such as Orange, Wilder, Curling, &c. 

The American Congress of Fruit-growers, at its meeting 
in the city of New York, in 1849, agreed upon the fol- 
lowing varieties as most worthy of cultivation : The Bed 
Antwerp, Yellow Antwerp, Franconia, and Falstaff, and as 
giving promise of being worthy to add to the list of Kne- 
vett's Griant. 



LAWTON BLACKBERRY 



^^4^/V^^^^ 




154 FRUIT GARDEN, 

The Blackberry is Tbecoming an important frmit in the 
United States. Thousands of bushels are gathered from 
the woods and open lands of our country and brought into 
market. Various attempts have been made to cultivate 
these wild plants, but usually with very indifferent success. 
Capt. Lovett, of Mass., has succeeded with an improved 
variety of raising fine fruit, but a complaint is made that 
they degenerate under other treatment. A new variety 
was discovered some years since at New Rochelle, near 
New York, and brought into notice by Wm. Lawton, Esq., 
of that place, which seems to supply the desideratum. It 
is very large, a great bearer, pulpy, and delicious flavor. It 
loves a cool, moist, shady soil ; is easily cultivated, and is 
every where becoming a universal favorite. The Congr^s 
of Fruit Growers have adopted it. It is called the Law- 
ton, or New Rochelle Blackberry. 

The Strawberry {Fragaria) belongs to the same na- 
tural family as the raspberry. Amongst the numerous 
kinds cultivated in English gardens, botanists have dis- 
tinguished several species, but as these distinctions imply 
no difference in culture, and as it is difficult to trace them 
amid the sportings of the hybrids, we shall not pretend to 
enumerate them. Scarcely any plant more readily slife into 
seminal varieties ; and, indeed, till lately, in consequence 
of the irregular prevalence of local names, their whole 
nomenclature was a chaos of confusion. At the instance 
of the Horticultural Society of London, Mr, Barnet under- 
took a revision of the subject : and, with great acuteness 
and discrimination, has removed much ambiguity, and 
finally settled the names of the existing varieties. His 
paper, which is well worth the perusal of every student of 
horticulture, is in the sixth volume of the London Trans- 
actions. In the second edition of the Catalogue of the 
London Horticultural Society, no fewer than 112 varieties 
are enumerated. But the following are sufficient, and an 



STRAWBERRY. 155 

asterisk is prefixed to those most worthy of cultivation in 
small gardens : — 

* Old Scarlet or Virginian. Swainstono Seedling. 

* Grove End Scarlet. * Old Pine or Carolina. 

* Keen's Seedling. Wilmot's Superb. 

* Bx)seberry. Myatt's Pine. 
Downtown. , Myatt's British Queen. 

* Knevett's. Large Flat Hautbois. 

* Elton. Prolific HautJDois. 
American Scarlet. Alpine, red and white. 
Coul Late Scarlet. Wood, red and white. 

The Elton and Keen's Seedling excel in size and beauty ; 
Myatt's Pine in delicious flavor, but the fruit of this last 
is produced sparingly. 

The strawberry plant is propagated either from runners 
or from seed. When runners are employed, they are some- 
times planted in autumn, or rather as soon as they have 
struck root into the ground. Most commonly, however, 
they are permitted to remain unseparated from the parent 
plants till spring ; a practice not to be commended, for it 
debilitates the old plants, and prevents the earth between 
the rows from being stirred and cleaned : deep digging be- 
tween rows is calculated to destroy the roots, and ought to 
be avoided. As, upon the whole, spring planting seems 
preferable, it would perhaps be well to adopt the practice 
of some gardeners, who are at pains to prick out the off- 
sets, as soon as they are rooted into beds of rich soil, from 
which they are transplanted into their proper places early 
in the spring 

The desire of new varieties has encouraged the practice 
of propagating by seed; and Keen, Knevett, Myatt, and 
others, have been extremely successful. Mr. Knight hav- 
ing observed that the young runners of the alpine straw- 
berry flower and ripen fruit the first year, was led to adopt 
this mode of reproduction, and followed it with the hap- 



156 FRUIT GARDEN. 

piest success. Early in spring he sowed the seed in flower- 
pots, which were put into a hotbed ; and as soon as the 
plants attained a sufiBcient size, they were transplanted 
into the open ground. They began to blossom soon after 
midsummer, and continued to produce fruit till interrupted 
by frost. Thus Mr. Knight is inclined to treat the alpine 
strawberry as an annual plant. The same practice has 
been recommended in France by M. Morel de Vinde {Cal, 
Hort. Mem.^ vol. iii.) ; but he very properly preserves his 
plants for three years, sowing every year a successional 
crop. Mr. Keen has applied this method of culture to the 
wood strawberry ; and we doubt not but it might be ex- 
tended with beneficial effects to the Old Scarlet and others 
of the less artificial varieties. 

A clayey soil or strong loam is considered as best suited 
to strawberry plants. On a sandy or very light soil they 
seldom succeed in England ; and in very close situations, 
and over-rich ground, most varieties produce little else 
than leaves. Before planting, the ground should be 
trenched, or digged over deeply, and when stiff and com- 
pact it should be very carefully worked. Keen, and 
others in the neighborhood of London, grow their straw- 
berries in beds, three rows in each, with an alley between 
them. The market-gardeners of Edinburgh, who, in the 
culture of this fruit, are perhaps not excelled by any, 
plant in rows two feet asunder, and from a foot to fifteen 
inches in the rows. When the weather is dry, the young 
plants are watered till they be well established. As little 
fruit is produced the first year, a line of carrots, onions, or 
other vegetables, is often sown between the rows for one 
season. In May the runners are cut off, with the view of 
promoting the swelling of the fruit. During dry weather, 
careful cultivators water their plants while in flower, and 



STRAWBERRY. 157 

particularly after the fruit is set, and occasionally till it 
begin to color. The old practice, from which the fruit 
derives its name, of laying straw between the rows to pre- 
vent the soiling of the fruit, has been recently revived ; and 
where there are dressed lawns, the short cut grass may be 
employed for the same purpose. As soon as the fruit sea- 
son is over, the runners are again removed ; the straw or 
grass is taken away, and the ground hoed and raked. In 
October the runners, and also the reclining, but not the 
erect^ leaves, are cut away, and the surface of the earth is 
stirred with a three-pronged fork, great care being taken 
not to injure the roots. Strawberries may be raised from 
the same ground for an indefinite space of time, but the 
plants should be renewed every third or fourth year. In 
the garden they are generally put in a quarter by them- 
selves, and it should be one fully exposed to the sun and air. 
The alpine and wood varieties may be placed in situations 
rather moist and shady, as edgings in the slips or in rows 
behind walls and hedges, in which situations they succeed 
perfectly well, and produce fruit late in the season. 

If strawberries be planted on a good border, in rows a 
yard asunder, a crop of early peas may be taken between 
the rows ; and the peas may be succeeded by Cape broc- 
coli, which seems not only not to be hurt by the excretion 
from the roots of the peas, but to remove any noxious 
quality thus imparted to the soil. The regular manuring 
for these crops keeps the strawberries in good vigor. The 
bed should not occupy the same ground more than three 
or four consecutive seasons. 

Strawberries have always been a favorite dessert fruit. 
They likewise form an excellent preserve ; and from their 
freedom from excess of acid seem well adapted to the 
manufacture of home wine. To this purpose they have 



158 FRUIT GARDEN. 

been only partially employed ; but the samples of straw- 
berry wine which we have tasted had more of the vinous 
flavor than any other of our domestic wines. The culture 
of strawberries is the most lucrative part of the employ- 
ment of the market-gardener, at least near large towns. 
In England it is not uncommon for him to realize a clear 
profit of £25 or £35, or even more, per imperial acre of 
strawberry ground. The greater the diligence and assi- 
duity of the cultivator, the greater will be his returns. It 
is a common and just remark, that too little labor is, in 
general, expended upon the strawberry, and by the igno- 
rant and unskilful gardener least of all. 

In some places, a strawberry bank is formed in this 
way : A ridge of earth, consisting of rich loam if possible, 
is formed, about six feet broad at the base, and about five 
feet high in the centre, running nearly from north to 
south. Along the centre of the ridge a narrow channel is 
formed, into which water may be poured, so as to perco- 
late the sides. Along the sloping sides bricks are placed 
like the steps of a stair, and in the interstices, between the 
bricks, strawberry plants are inserted. In this way the 
plants have the fullest advantage of sunshine, the fruit is 
kept perfectly clean, and its early maturity promoted by 
the reflected heat of the bricks. 

Strawberries are extensively forced. The Old Scarlet, 
Old Pine, Hoseberry,. Glrove End, and Keen's Seedling, 
are found suitable for this purpose. The latter has the 
advantage of being early, prolific, and yielding large fruit ; 
but the Old Scarlet and the Old Pine have the superiority 
in flavor. The plants must be in a course of preparation 
for nearly a year before the fruit can be expected. They 
are potted in April with rich soil, two or three young 
plants being put into a pot of eight or ten inches in diam- 



STRAWBERRY. 159 

eter. During summer they are kept in a warm situation 
and encouraged to grow, flowers and runners being care- 
fully picked off. In the beginning of winter they are shel- 
tered in cold frames, and they are afterwards successively 
placed into hotbeds or forcing-houses, so as to keep up a 
succession of fruiting plants. The air should be kept 
moist, and they must be plentifully supplied with water. 
Where the means are abundant, a moderate supply of ripe 
fruit may thus be maintained during the late winter and 
the spring months. Some cultivators provide new plants 
for forcing every year. But the same plants may be forced 
for several successive years, provided they be shifted in 
August, and, at the time of repotting, the black torpid 
roots be cut off, leaving only those of a paler color, and 
which are connected with the new shoots or offsetts. 

At the meeting in 1849 of the National Congress of 
Fruit-growers, the following varieties were recommended 
as the very best for culture, namely : Large Early Scarlet, 
Hovey's Seedling, Boston Pine ; and, as giving promise of 
being worthy to be added to the list. Burr's New Pine, 
and Jenney's Seedling, 

The Large Early Scarlet is of medium size, staminate 
or male, moderately but uniformly productive, and of good 
flavor. 

Hovey Seedling is very large. Specimens are often four, 
five and even six inches in circumference; dark red, and 
very handsome oval shape, sometimes coxcomb ; reasonably 
productive when not too richly cultivated ; of good flavor, 
and a favorite fruit for the table or market. In some 
locations and under some cultivators it is a fickle bearer. 
Pistillate. 

Boston Pine is also a large, round, high flavored fruit, 
bears 'high cultivation well ; should be in single plants two 



160 FRUIT GARDEN. 

to three feet apart, when it often bears very large crops. 
This variety also sometimes proves a poor bearer. Stami- 
nate. 

Buri-h New Pine, is a pale red, large, oval, very sweet, 
aromatic, exquisite flavored berry, a uniform good bearer, 
early and bears long ; too tender for market. Pistillate. 

Jenny'' s Seedling, is a very bright, solid, handsome, rich 
flavored fruit, oval shape, late in season, and a good mode- 
rate bearer. Pistillate. 

Monroe Scarlet. — A large, good flavored fruit ; a uniform 
large bearer in large trusses. Pistillate. 

Mc Avoy^s Superior, new ; very large ; good flavored 
and productive. Pistillate. 

McAvoy's Extra Red, new ; very large ; handsome, 
medium flavor, bears enormous ^crops ; hard and good for 
market. Pistillate. 

Moyamensing Pine, good size ; handsome ; fair bearer ; 
good market fruit. 

Longworth's Prolific, new ; staminate ; very large, dark 
handsome fruit, good flavor, and productive. 

Walker'^s Seedling, new ; staminate, medium size, dark 
purple, oval, good flavor, and productive. 

Crimson Cone, very handsome, long, acid berry ; pro- 
ductive ; a common market fruit of medium size. 

Rival Hudson, similar to above, only not so handsome. 

Willey, very productive, but medium size, round. 

Alice Maude. — A great favorite at Washington, D. C, 
and South. A long, glossy, handsome fruit, productive 
and fair flavor. 

Black Prince, very handsome purple fruit ; large, but 
not usually high flavored. 

Large White Picton Pine and Barr''s Neiv Wliite. — 
Two new varieties of large, rich fruit, and tolerably pro- 
ductive. 



STRAWBERRY. 161 

The Alpines are small, productive, and sweet. 

The BusJi Alpines are nice for borders. 

Mr. Hovey raised the Seedling which goes by his name, 
and the celebrated Boston Pine, from the same lot of seed. 
He states that it is the character of his Seedling, as it is of 
the Early Virginia and some other varieties of the straw- 
berry, rarely to produce more than three or four trusses of 
fruit to each root, so that they require to be grown thickly 
in beds to produce good crops. This, however, was not 
generally the case with the Boston Pine, the tendency of 
which is to produce ten or twelve trusses of fruit to each 
root, so that one hundred and fifty berries had been count- 
ed on a single plant. In consequence of this characteristic, 
when the vines occupy all the ground, there is a deficiency 
of nourishment and the berries do not fill up. Hence many 
failures had occurred in the cultivation of this variety, 
which required more room than other kinds ; when grown 
in rows with a foot or more space left between, and that 
space well manured, the crop was most abundant. When 
planted in hills, one or more feet apart each way, and one 
or more plants in each place, the runners could be kept 
clipped ofi", and the ground tilled with either the hoe, 
plough or cultivator. 

Strawberry plants are commonly designated as male and 
female, and it is of great importance to understand how to 
distinguish these apart, since a bed with too large a pro- 
portion of male plants will prove very unproductive. The 
distinction can be readily made when in flower, the blos- 
soms of the females having an entirely green centre, whilst 
those that exhibit a great many yellow stamens represent 
the male, or barren plants. Such flowers as have only a 
portion of stamens around the base of the green conical 



162 FRUIT GARDEN. 

centre of the flower, are termed staminate or perfect 
blossoms. 

In the United States, strawberry plants are set out 
either in the spring months of March and April, or in the 
months of August and September. A good size for beds 
is four feet wide with three rows of plants about fifteen 
inches apart. The beds may have walks two or two and a 
half feet wide for the workers or pickers to m«ve in. 

After the middle of July, the runners not required to 
produce fresh plants are to be clipped off or otherwise 
destroyed. The beds should be weeded so that the soil 
may be kept clean and open, and in light soils a few inches 
of well-rotted leaf mold should be dug in between the rows 
every fall. Where exposed to severe cold, some straw or 
rough litter should be lightly spread over the beds in win- 
ter. In dry seasons, after the plants have done blooming, 
it will generally be of great service to the fruit to have the 
beds occasionally watered with weak liquid manure of some 
kind, either the draining from the cattle yard or other 
fertilizing liquid. A solution of guano, in the proportion 
of one lb. to six or eight gallons of water, will answer very 
well. Manure must generally be given in some way or 
other if very large fruit is wanted. As the beds will not 
generally produce well longer than three or four years, it 
is requisite to have a succession of new ones coming on in 
other places. It is recommended to set out the female 
plants, with the exception of every fifth bed, which is to 
consist of males. The clean straw or tan usually placed 
about the plants to keep the fruit from the ground or sand, 
should be put round in early spring before the blooming. 

A deep, light rich loam is the best soil for the straw- 
berry, and where nature has not placed this at the conveni- 
ence of the planter, he should have recourse to trenching, 



CRANBERRY. 163 

The fruit season may be greatly prolonged by having beds 
in diflferent exposures ; those fronting the south-east will 
ripen long before those towards the north-west. There 
must be no trees or other objects to shade the beds. For 
more minute directions see Pardee^ a new work on the 
Strawberry, &c., published by C. M. Saxton. 

Cranberry. — The culture of the American Cranberry 
{Oxycoccus macrocarpus) was introduced by the late Sir 
Joseph Banks, and deserves particular notice, for it is al- 
together overlooked by Lindley and other horticultural 
writers. The plant is distinguished by the smoothness of 
its stems, and the largeness of its fruit. It grows freely, 
and produces its fruit readily in any damp situation. It 
has also recently been cultivated in various parts of the 
United States on uplands with great success. The ordi- 
nary way of cultivation in low lands is to select a swamp 
or bog meadow — clear it off, and then pare off the surface 
of bogs or grass so as to clear the soil of the roots — next 
cover the surface of the ground with sand to the depth of 
two to five inches, and in the sand set out the plants about 
a foot to 18 inches apart. If transplanted with the sod 
adhering, it is well, if the grass is only pulled out of the 
soil. The Cranberry plantation is then to be kept clean 
of grass and weeds until the whole surface of the ground is 
covered by the Cranberry, which is usually the case in 
three years after planting out. 

On uplands the ground is not to be enriched (one writer 
Bays, the poorer the ground the better,) but prepared simi- 
lar to a Strawberry plantation. It is well to cover the 
surface of the ground with sand, and requires three or more 
years for the soil to become filled with the plants ; during 



164 PRUIT GARDEN. 

which period care must be taken and much labor expended 
to keep the ground clear of weeds and grass. 

The usual cost per acre of preparing and keeping an 
acre of ground of Cranberries in good condition during the 
three years while the bud is maturing, is from $100, $200 
to $300 per acre, on low wet lands, but nearly twice as 
much on uplands. 

When the ground is fully covered with vines, the usual 
crop will average about 150 bushels per acre — but some 
places have been so well prepared and so favorable for it 
that at the rate of 450 bushels per acre have been known 
to be gathered from a half acre. 

Loudon remarks, " that Sir Joseph Banks, after having 
imported the American Cranberry into England, raised in 
1831 three and a half bushels on a piece of land eighteen 
feet square. This is at the rate of about four hundred and 
sixty bushels to the acre." 

The price of the Cranberry varies in market, ranging 
from two to four dollars per bushel, so that it may be seen 
they are a very profitable crop ; and often times low swamp 
land fit for but little else can thus be used to good purpose. 

They are easily gathered with Cranberry rakes, with 
which 20 to 30 bushels per day, or even 40 bushels can be 
taken from the vines by a man and boy. 

Sometimes the Cranberry is raised from the seed, but 
an inferior variety is as likely to result as otherwise. They 
will also grow from cuttings. The fall or spring are favor- 
able seasons for transplanting, but the former is consider- 
ed best. From September until the ground freezes, or 
from March till the middle of May will do. 

Professor Horsford has recently given the following 
valuable analysis of the Cranberry fruit : 



CRANBERRY. 165 

t>er centage of water expelled by 212 ® F. is 88.78 

" " a£h .17 
Woody fibre tissues, organic acids, and other organic 

matter not decomposed at 212 ^ F., 11. OS 



100.00 



l*er centage of potash in the ashj 42.6t 

« " soda " «« 1.77 

Only 17 per cent, of the ash is derived from the soil- 
all the rest from atmosphere and water. It will also be 
seen from the above, why this fruit flourishes so well near 
the sea shore under saline influences. 

The best variety is called the Black Cranberry, being 
very dark-red, nearly black when ripe, very large, nearly 
round, and very hard flesh. The crop is sometimes injured 
by late frosts on the blossoms in spring, and they must be 
gathered before frosts in the fall, but should be allowed to 
remain on and ripen as long as the frosts will permit. To 
save expense in cultivation, it is of the first importance to 
have the ground entirely covered with the plants as soon 
as possible, and then they may be kept in good bearing 
order for five or six years, by an occasional thorough 
raking over of the bed, and thus thinning the plants. This 
is done to a certain extent by the rake in gathering the 
fruit. The small Cranberry has creeping small roots and 
stems, but the Black Cranberry has thrifty vines three or 
four feet long, and sometimes much longer, trailing over 
the ground. 

The first year after planting, the usual produce is about 
50 bushels to the acre, after that increasing to 200 or 300 
bushels. 

[Mr. r. Trowbridge, New Haven, Ct., has plants in any quantity for sale 
at 50 cents per hundred.] 



166 FRUIT GARDEN. 

The main reason why upland cultivation is so much 
more expensive than low lands, is its tendency to grass 
and weed, and the great expense of labor, &c., in weeding 
and keeping clean. Muck swamps are of not much value 
for other purposes, but for the Cranberry they are well 
adapted. 

Good plants can be had of nurserymen for 50 cents per 
hundred, and even for 25 to 30 cents where several thou- 
sands are wanted. The States of Massachusetts and Con- 
necticut are paying particular attention to the Cranberry 
at the present time, where it proves to be one of the most 
profitable crops. 

If the plants are 18 inches apart, 19,000 plants will 
cover an acre ; if two feet 10,000, and if two and a half 
feet, 7,000. 

But where there is a pond, it may be cultivated with 
the greater success. On the margin of the pond stakes 
are driven in a short way within the water line ; boards 
are so placed against these as to prevent the soil of the 
Cranberry bed from falling into the water. A layer of 
small stones is deposited in the bottom, and over these peat 
or bog earth, mixed with sand, to the extent of about three 
or four inches above, and half a foot below the usual sur- 
face of the water. Plants of the American Cranberry 
placed on this bed soon cover the whole surface with a 
dense matting of trailing shoots. There is a variety which 
is very shy in yielding its fruit, and this should, of course, 
be avoided. If the prolific variety be employed, from a 
bed thirty or forty feet in length, by five or six in breadth, 
a quantity of berries may be procured sufficient for the 
supply of a family throughout the year. The fruit is easily 
preserved in bottles. The native Cranberry {Oxycoccus 
palustris) may be treated in the same manner, and in some 



THE CABBAGE. 167 

places is very successfully cultivated. At Culzean Castle, 
the seat of the Marquis of Ailsa, in Ayrshire, I found 
(1820) the Cranberry ground surrounded by a ditch, the 
water of which was made to filter through among stones 
and stakes to the interior, so as to keep the Cranberry 
plants constantly supplied with moisture. In the same 
garden a second compartment was dedicated to small fruits 
of this class, having in the centre a rock-work planted with 
whortleberries ( Vaccinium vitis-idcea)^ and around the 
rock-work beds of American Cranberry, of Scottish Cran- 
berry, and of Crowberry {Empetrum nigrum)^ also native. 

The following plants produce fruit in English gardens, 
some of them abundantly in a wild state, others sparing- 
ly ; but they can scarcely be said to come within the pro- 
vince of Horticulture : Berberis vulgaris, the Barberry ; 
Sambucus nigra, the Elder ; Prunus sjnnosa, the Sloe ; 
P. insititia, the Bullace ; and Rhubus Chamce^jzorus, the 
Cloudberry. 



KITCHEN GARDEN. 

In this department those plants are cultivated which, 
after being subjected to various culinary processes, are 
used at the dinner table as articles of food. We shall 
class them in groups, enumerating the kinds nearly in the 
order of their importance, each, for the sake of precision, 
being accompanied by its botanical name. 

Cabbage Tribe. 

The Brassica oleracea, Linn., is a plant indigenous to 
the rocky shores of Great Britain, but no one, seeing it 



168 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

waving its foliage in its native habitat, could possibly anti- 
cipate that it would ever appear in our gardens, disguised 
as the ponderous drumhead or sugar-loaf cabbage, or on our 
tables as the delicate cauliflower and broccoli. The culti- 
vated varieties are numerous ; but the following are the 
most important. 

Common White Cabbage ; the leaves gathering into a 
close head. The economical uses of this vegetable are well 
known. Its principal subvarieties are the following : 

Early Dwarf or Battersea, Large Sugar Loaf, 

Early York, Drumhead, 

Large York, Pomeranian. 

The first two are well adapted for early crops ; the others 
for use in the autumn and winter. There is a dwarfish 
variety of the Tronchuda, sometimes called the Portugal 
Cabbage, the leaf-stalk and midribs of the leaves of which 
are succulent, crisp, and white, and equal in flavor to sea- 
kale. 

The Cabbage is propagated from seed, which may be 
sown in beds four feet wide, and covered over with a thin 
layer of earth. The proper seasons in England for this 
operation are the middle of August, the beginning of 
March, and midsummer. By observing these times, and 
employing difi°erent sorts, the succession may be kept up 
throughout the year. For the early spring crops, the late- 
sown plants are in October transferred from the seed-bed 
to some Open and well manured ground, where they are 
arranged in rows two feet asunder. The principal supply 
may be put out in February, afi'ording the larger sorts 
more width between the rows. The crops sown in spring 
are planted out in May and June. For subsequent cul- 
ture, all that is necessary is to keep the ground clear of 



THE CABBAGE. 169 

weeds, and to draw up the soil about the stems. In some 
situations watering in summer is beneficial. 

In many places on the continent of Europe, sourcrout is 
prepared by shredding down the heads in autumn, and 
placing in a cask alternate layers of the cabbage with salt, 
pepper, and a very little salad oil • and then compressing 
the whole. 

The cabbages grown late in autumn and in the beginning 
of winter are denominated Colcworts^ from the name of a 
kindred vegetable no longer cultivated. The object is to 
have them with open or slightly closed hearts. Two sow- 
ings are made, in the middle of June and in July, and the 
seedlings, when they acquire sufficient strength, are planted 
out in lines, a foot or fifteen inches asunder, and eight or 
ten inches apart in the rows. 

The Red Cabbage^ of which the Dutch or large red is 
the most common variety, is much used for pickling. It is 
sown along with the white varieties in August and in spring, 
and the culture is in every respect the same. 

The Savoy. This variety, like the preceding, forms into 
a close head, but is distinguished by the wrinkling of its 
leaves. It is a very useful vegetable during the winter 
months, being highly relished by most people. The prin- 
cipal subvarieties are the Early Green, the Dwarf, the Yel- 
low, and the Winter or large Late Grreen, of each of which 
there are various forms. The seed is sown in autumn and 
in the end of spring ; and two plantings may take place in 
April, and in June or July. 

Brussels Sprouts. This vegetable is allied to the fore- 
going, but does not close or cabbage. From the axilse of 
the stem-leaves proceed little rosettes or sprouts, which 
resemble savoy cabbages in miniature, and form a very deli- 
cate morsel. The seed should be sown in spring, and the 



170 KITCHEN GARDEN, 

seedlings planted out before midsummer^ during showery 
weather. In October the plants should have additional 
earth drawn to their roots, to firm them, and save them 
from beino; destroyed by frost. The earliest sprouts become 
fit for use in November, and they continue good, or even 
improving in quality, till the month of March following, 
Mr. YanMons, of Brussels, mentions [Lond. Hortic, Mem.j 
vol. iii.), that by successive sowings the sprouts are there 
obtained for the greater part of the year. In spring, 
when the plants have a tendency to run to flower, their 
growth is checked by lifting them, and replanting them in 
a slanting direction, in a cool, shady situation. 

Open Kale or Borecole. The principal subvarieties 
are : 

German Greens, or Curlies, Jerusalem Kale, or Bagged 

green, yellow and red, Jack, 

Scotch Kale, green and purple, Woburn Kale, 

Delaware Greens. Buda, or Russian Kale. 

Of these the two first are considered the most valuable, and 
are the sorts chiefly cultivated in England. The seed is 
sown at various times from February to May, and the seed- 
lings are planted out in moist weather during summer, in 
rows two feet asunder. The Buda Kale is sown in May, 
planted out in September, and, being hardy, afi"ords a sup- 
ply in the following spring. The Wobura kale, being 
nearly a perennial, may readily be propagated by cuttings, 
six inches long, in any of the spring months. 

Of the Turnip-Rooted Cabbage, or Khol-rilbe^ there 
are two kinds, one swelling above ground (Chou-rave), the 
other in it (Chou-navet). There is nothing peculiar in the 
culture, unless that, in the case of the first mentioned, the 
earth should not be drawn so high as to cover the globular 



CAULIFLOWER. 171 

part of the stem, which is the part used. The seed may be 
sown in the beginning of June, and the seedlings trans- 
planted in July ; the vegetable is thus fit for use at the 
approach of winter. Of the Chou-rave the French have a. 
cut-leaved variety, which is considered as rather earlier 
than the common sort. 

Cauliflower. This is cultivated for the sake of the 
flower-buds, which form a large, dense cluster or head, and 
afford one of the most delicate products of the kitchen gar- 
den. There are three varieties, the Early, the Late, and 
the Reddish-stalked ; but these seem to present scarcely 
any well-marked distinction ; the earliness or lateness de- 
pending on the time of sowing. Of late a sort called the 
Large Asiatic has come much into use. 

The sowing, for the first or spring crop, is made in the 
latter half of the month of August ; and in the neighbor- 
hood of London, the growers adhere as nearly as possible 
to the 21st day. A second sowing takes place in Febru- 
ary on a slight hotbed, and a third in April or May. 

The cauliflower being tender, the young plants require 
protection in winter. For this purpose they are sometimes 
pricked put in a warm situation at the foot of a wall with 
a southern exposure, where, in severe weather, they are also 
covered with hoops and mats. Perhaps a better method is 
to plant them thickly in the ground, under a common hot- 
bed frame, and to secure them from cold by coverings, and 
from damp by giving air in mild weather.* For a very 

* During the severe and protracted snow-storm of 1838, Mr. Robert Mil- 
ler, market-gardener at Gorgie, was completely successful in preserving his 
cauliflower plants in the open border, by the simple expedient of heaping 
snow over them to the depth of eighteen inches or two feet. Occasional 
slight thawings were followed by intense frosts, when the cold was from 20° 
even to 10° Fahr. But the only effect was the glazmg of the surface of the 



172 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

early supply, it is useful to be at the pains of potting a few 
scores of plants ; these arc to be kept under glass during 
winter, and plunged out in spring, defending them with a 
hand-glass, and watering them when needful. Sometimes, 
as in market-gardens, patches of three or four plants are 
sheltered by hand-glasses throughout the winter in the open 
border. It is advantageous to prick out the spring-sown 
plants into some sheltered place, before they be finally trans- 
planted and committed to the open ground in May. The 
later crop, the transplantation of which may take place at 
various times, is treated like early cabbages. Cauliflower 
succeeds best in a rich soil and warm situation. After 
planting, all that is necessary is to hoe the ground and 
draw up the soil about the roots. 

It is found that this vegetable, being induced to form its 
large and crowded clusters of flower-buds in the autumn, 
may be kept in perfection over winter. Cauliflowers which 
have been planted out in July will be nearly ready for use 
in October. Towards the end of that month, the most 
compact and best shaped are selected and lifted carefully 
with the spade, keeping a ball of earth attached to the roots. 
Some of the large outside leaves are removed, in o^der that 
the plants may occupy less room, and at the same time, any 
points of leaves that immediately overhang the flower are 
cut off". AVhere there are peach-houses or vineries, the 
plants may be arranged in the borders of these, pretty 
closely together, but without touching. Or they may be 
placed in the same manner in hotbed frames. In mild, dry 
weather the glass-frames are drawn off, but they are kept 
close in rain ; and in severe frost they are thickly covered 

snow with a thin coat of ice : the plants remained imbedded below at an 
invariable temperature of 32°, which they could well enough sustain, and 
they ran no risk from the expanding effects of freezing. 



BROCCOLI. 



173 



with mats. In this way cauliflower may be kept in a very 
good state for several months. 

Broccoli has a close aflanity to cauliflower, being like it 
of Italian origin, and difi"ering chiefly in the greater hardi- 
ness of its constitution. The subvarieties are numerous, 
and exceedingly diversified. The following are those which 
are most in repute at present. The first five produce their 
heads in autumn, the others in spring : — 

Early Purple Cape, Sulphur-colored, 

Grange's Early, or Gilles- Late White, 

pie's Broccoli, Late Purple, 

Early Purple, Knight's Protecting, 

Early White, Edinburg White. 

Of the autumnal sorts there should be two sowings, one in 
the middle of April, and one in the middle of May. As 
the plants acquire strength they are shifted into the open 
ground, where they are placed in lines two feet apart. The 
cape varieties are of great excellence, being of a delicious 
flavor when dressed ; but, on account of the plants being 
apt to start into flower, their cultivation has in many places 
been neglected. With proper management, however, this 
tendency may be overruled. The first sowing may be made 
on any border of light soil, scattering the seed very spar- 
ingly. In about a month the plants may be transferred 
directly into a quarter consisting of sandy loam, well en- 
riched with rotten dung. The greater part of the second 
crop should be planted in pots, likewise directly from the 
seed-bed. These plants are to be sunk in the open ground 
till the heads be formed; and in the end of November 
they are to be placed under a glass frame, where very good 
broccoli may be produced during the severest weather of 
winter. Mr. Ronalds of Brentford recommends that the 



174 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

Early White, which is also a desirable sort, should be sown 
on a hotbed, and treated like the secondary crop of cauli- 
flower. 

The spring varieties are extremely valuable, as they 
come into use at a season when the finer vegetables are 
scarce. They are sown in the middle of March or the bo- 
ginning of April, and afford a supply from March to May 
of the following year. The Late White (sometimes called 
Dwarf Tartarian) bears a great resemblance to cauliflower, 
and often passes for it. 

To obtain seed of the Brassica tribe, the most genuine 
and characteristic specimens of the difierent varieties should 
be selected in autumn, in such a state of advancement as 
that they will flower as early as possible in the following 
spring. They should be planted in an open situation, and 
kept as far distant from other kinds of the same tribe as 
may be. As they are very liable to cross or hybridize, it 
is perhaps better, except in the case of some favorite vari- 
ety, to procure supplies from a respectable seedsman, from 
whom they are almost uniformly to be had genuine, the 
extensive seed-growers being at great pains to prevent 
intermixture of crops. 

Grange's Early White, and the Early Purple Cape, are 
the kinds best adapted to the climate of the Middle States. 
The Dwarf Tartarian, White Malta, and Late White, are 
fine sorts for situations south of Virginia, where they may 
remain out all winter. But to be able to have them during 
winter in the Middle and Northern States, it is necessary, 
before the occurrence of a severe frost, to remove them 
from the garden, by careful lifting, and replant them under 
a shed or in a cellar. 



THE PEAS. 176 

Leguminous Plants. 

Of the Pea (Pisum sativu70i) there are two principal 
varieties cultivated in England, the Field or Gray Hog 
Pea, and the (xarden Pea. The latter alone requires our 
attention here. Its chief subvarieties are — 

Early Frame, Richardson's Eclipse, 

Early Charlton, Tall Marrowfat, 

Early White Warwick, Knight's Tall Marrowfat, 

Early Emperor Knight's Dwarf Marrowfat, 

Champion of England, GrreeE or Blue Prussian, 
Hair's Mammoth Dwarf Marrow, White Prussian, 

Bishop's Early Dwarf, Sugar, Dwarf and TalL 

The first three are suitable for early crops, and the others 
for successional supplies. The Early Emperor, Champion 
of England, and Hair's Mammoth Dwarf Marrow, have of 
late risen into repute, as being very prolific. In the Sugar 
Pea, of which there are two sorts, the tall and dwarf, the 
inner tough, filmy lining of the pod is absent : tho young 
legumes of these may therefore be used like kidney-beans, 
and form an agreeable dish. Richardson's Eclipse is 
early, very prolific, and remarkable for the great length of 
the pods. 

The first crop of peas is sown in England about the be- 
ginning of November, in front of a south wall ; and these, 
after they have appeared above ground, are defended by 
spruce-fir branches, or other spray, throughout the winter. 
In January and February other sowings are made, and 
sometimes the seed is put up into flower-pots and boxes, 
and the young plants afterwards plunged out in spring, 
either singly or two or three together, taking care to keep 
a portion of earth adhering. From the end of February 
moderate Bowing should be made twice a month till the 



176 KTToriKN (JAKDKN. 

iniiUlld of August, ll)iis cii^iuriiiL]:; a niipply of successiro 
or()|)a (>r (li'licnlt! given pens. Vov the l;ili\st crops, tlur 
Kuiglit.'.s iMaiTowfat, llaiu's hwarf and (ho Kluc f^russiau 
aro aiuoiiiX tho best. l*e;is are sown In rowt! from llirec^ t.o 
tivo foot aHUndor, acjoordini;- Id the lu'in;li(, wliieli tln' dilVerenf, 
sorts ;ire known usuallv to :»t(:iin. Ah tlu>y <j;row nj), (lie 
eiirlli is drawn (o I lie roots, :ind tlu^ stems are snpported 
M'itli stakes, a praetun; wliieh, in a well-kept, garden, is 
always advisablo, altliongli it is said that tlui earky varieties^ 
when reeinnbont, arrive sooner atniatnrity. A\'hen germi- 
nating, or when just rising through tJie groinid, peas arC' 
greedily (h'voured by sparrows and other small birds 
Threads of white wurstcd spread along tho lines ol" the 
yonng peas iVighten the deiJredalors t'nlly b<^tter than scare- 
crows or strings of feathers; ]>nt perhaps tho simplest and 
most ell"e(M,ual remedy is to throw over tho peas a sliglii 
covoring of soil, for by tho tinio tho young plants havoponc- 
trated this they are beyon<l the attack of tlu^ birds. 

The early crops como into use in May and June, and, 
by repealled sowings, the supjilies arc prolonged to tho bo- 
ginning of Novend»er. Peas grown late in autunni arw 
snbjeet, to mihh^w, to obviate which, Mr. Knight has ])ro- 
posed the following nn^lhod : The ground is dug over in 
tli(> usual way, a,nd the spaces to be occupied by tho fntnro 
rows of peas are well soaked with water. Tho mould on 
each sidt! is then collected so as to form ridges seven or 
eight inches high, and those ridgea are well watered. On 
those tho seed is sown in singb^ rows in tlu^ beginning of 
.June. 1 f dry W(^ather at any time set in, water is supplied 
profusijly onco a week. In this way, tlu^ sap which it pns 
]Kired in the sunnner is exj)ended in tho autunni ; tho 
plants continue grecMi and vigorous, resisting mildew^ au<i 
not yielding till subdued by frost. 



THE BEAN. 177 

In the Middle States, when sown successively from the 
last of February to the 1 0th of May, crops of young 
green peas may be had constantly from May to the end 
of July. About the middle of August, peas may be 
planted again, previous to which it is best to soak them in 
water for twenty-four hours. Water the rows before plant- 
ing if the ground be dry, and watering the peas whilst 
growing will tend to keep off the mildew, so apt to attack 
them in dry weather towards the close of summer. 

The Garden Bean. — Among the kinds known in the 
United States as Bunch-Beans, or, from their valuable 
characteristics of crispncss. Snap Shorts, are the following : 
Early Moha'wk, Early Six- Weeks, Early Valentine, 
Yellow Six- Weeks, Late Valentine, or Refugee, Black 
Valentine, Royal White Kidney, and China Red-eye. 
The Early Valentine variety is extensively cultivated for 
the Philadelphia market. Tlio pods are round, and con- 
tinue on the vines lit for culinary purposes a long time. 
Bush-beans of the kiud just named may be planted in the 
Middle States from the first of April till the last of Au- 
gust. The first planting is very apt to be nipped by the 
frost. 

Climbing beans, commonly called Pole Beans, are exten- 
sively cultivated in the United States, especially that 
called the Lima, of which there are two varieties, the 
white and the green, the latter being the largest, but the 
white producing the most certain crops. When eaten, both 
kinds are taken from the pods like peas. 

In the vicinity of Philadelphia, where they are raised 
very abundantly, Lima beans are planted in the last week 
in April, in hills three and a half by four feet apart, pre- 
cisely like corn. The hills should consist of good rich 
soil, raised only a few inches above the general level, with 



178 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

five or six beans in each, covered about two inches deep. 
If all the seeds grow, the plants may be thinned to three. 
If they fail, replanting will of course be required. Although 
they will, in rich ground and in a good season, grow to the 
length of twenty feet, the poles usually employed for their 
support are not over ten or twelve feet in height, it being 
necessary that two feet shall be under ground. 

The Carolina Scwce or Saba Bean, though not so large, 
has all the habits of the Lima, but is more hardy and a 
more abundant producer, although inferior in richness and 
buttery character. 

A variety of Pole Beans, called the Dutch Case-Knife, 
is used either with or without the pod or hull, and is also 
well adapted for winter use. It has a fine flavor, produces 
well, and comes earlier for the table than either the Lima 
or Carolina varieties. 

The kind called Scarlet Runners, from their red blos- 
soms, require to be planted rather earlier than the Lima, 
and need the same kind of support. 

What are known in England as the Windsor and Early 
Long Pod Beans, are not so well adapted to the American 
climate as the varieties just referred to. They may be 
planted in cool situations, in drills a foot and a half asun- 
der, and two inches apart in the row. 

Esculent Roots. 

The Potato {Solanum tuberosum). — This well-known 
plant is a native of the elevated regions of equatorial 
America. It was introduced into Europe about the mid- 
dle of the sixteenth century, but remained little known or 
regarded till within the last hundred years : and is now so 
generally cultivated as to have eff'ected almost an economi- 
cal revolution in this country. Most of the original British 



THE POTATO. 



179 



Borts have been derived from Ireland. Its muUitudinous 
varieties almost set enumeration at defiance, and new ones 
are appearing and disappearing every year. By much the 
most correct list of the varieties now in cultivation is to be 
found in Mr. Charles Lawson's useful book, entitled The 
Agriculturists'' s Manual They are arranged in various 
classes, out of which we shall select a very few names of 
the more esteemed sorts. The first class consists of the 
earliest garden varieties of dwarfish growth, and therefore 
well adapted for forcing, such as Fox's Early Delight, and 
the Early Kidney. The next class contains those very 
early kinds, of taller growth, which yield the fir.^t garden 
crop ; including the Hopetoun Early, Harold's Early, In- 
vermay Early, the new Elm-leaved Kidney, and Ash-leaved 
Early, and Early Seedling. Of these, the Hopetoun is 
perhaps the best: the tubers are round, dry, early, and of 
tolerable size ; but in all the kinds, the mealiness and 
earliness necessarily depend a good deal on soil, situation, 
and the quality of the season. The third class embraces 
those which generally form the principal garden crop, and 
includes the Prince of Wales Early, tall American Early, 
Shaw's Early, Taylor's Forty-fold, and Matchless Kidney. 
For cultivation in the home-farm, the Edinburgh Dons, 
and the Perthshire Reds (of which last there are two or 
three subvarieties), have not yet been surpassed. The cul- 
ture of the late sorts properly belongs to the farm, and 
when the gardener has to take them under his care, he will 
find it best to adopt such as are common in the agriculture 
of the district. What is called the Everlasting Potato i» 
a late sort, the tubers of which have the property of re- 
taining, during winter, the delicate waxy flavor of young 
potatoes. They are left in the ground, but covered with 
Utter to prevent the access of frost. It may here be re- 



ISO KITCHEN GARDEN. 

marked, that if the tubers of auy good late variety, such as 
the Edinburgh Don or the Stalfold Hall, be buried in the 
earth so deep as to prevent vegetation, and kept there till 
the beginning of autumn, or if their growth be in any way 
retarded, and if they be planted at that season of the year, 
young potatoes may thus be procured, during the winter 
season, by merely preventing the access of frost with a 
covering of litter. 

Potatoes are commonly propagated by dividing the tubers, 
leaving to each cut, one or two eyes or buds. The sets are 
then planted by the aid of the dibble or spade, in rows at a 
distance varying from lifteen inches to two feet. It was 
suggested by the late Mr. Knight, and his views have been 
amply confirmed by experiment, that by planting whole 
tubers, and at great distances, a larger produce might be 
obtained. Mr. Knight proposed to leave four feet between 
the rows, a distance which, except with the larger varieties, 
was found to be unnecessarily great. An experienced hor- 
ticulturist in Scotland states, that by planting whole tubers, 
and by leaving in the case of dwarfs two feet, and in the 
tall varieties two feet and a half, between the rows, a return 
from one-third to one-half more was obtained than could be 
had irom the old method. Of course more tubers are re- 
quired for planting, but these bear no proportion to the 
great increase which results ; and besides, early potatoes at 
the planting season being unfit for table use, there is little 
economy in sparing them. 

The earliest crop should, if possible, be placed in alight 
soil, and in a warm situation, and should be planted about 
the middle of March. Sometimes the eyes of the tubers 
are made to spring or vegetate on a hotbed, and the plants 
are put out as soon as the leaves can bear the open air. 
Perhaps it is better, as recommended by Mr. Saul, of Lan- 



THE POTATO. 181 

caster, to promote incipient vegetation in some warm place, 
as a house or green-house, by laying a woolen cloth or some 
other covering over them. When the sprouts are about 
two inches long, he plants them out towards the end of 
March, and thus procures young potatoes in seven or eight 
weeks. In some places, the plants are forced to some ex- 
tent, by being protected in frames covered with oiled paper. 
A secondary planting of tubers should be made before the 
middle of April. When the stems are a few inches above 
ground, the earth should be drawn to them ; an operation, 
however, which, while it improves the crop, delays its ma- 
turity for two or three weeks. Mr. Knight recommends re- 
moving the flowers as they appear, and states that by this 
means the produce is increased by a ton per acre. The fine 
early varieties, however, scarcely produce any flowers. 

An important fact in the cultivation of the potato was 
observed about the year 1806, by the late Mr. Thomas 
Dickson, of Edinburgh, viz., that the most healthy and 
productive plants were to be obtained by employing as 
seed-stock unripe tubers, or even by planting only the wet 
or least-ripened ends of long-shaped potatoes ; and he pro- 
posed this as a preventive of the well-known disease called 
the Curl. This view was confirmed by the late Mr. Knight. 
An intelligent writer in the Gardener'' s Magazine sug- 
gests a method by which sprouting of the eyes is accelerat- 
ed. He takes up the seed potatoes a considerable time be- 
fore they are ripe, and exposes them for some weeks to the 
influence of a scorching sun. The resulting crop is at 
least a fortnight earlier ; but it is not said how this prac- 
tice affects the curl.* 

* It is not thought necessary here to enter on the subject of the very gene- 
ral potato disease of 1845 and 1846. Notwithstanding numerous inquiries 
and publications, nothing satisfactory, either as to cause or cure, has 
been established, and, fortunately, tho evil is gradually disappearing. 



182 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

The forcing of early potatoes on hotbeds has long been 
practiced ; but it is attended with considerable trouble and 
expense. Small supplies of young waxy tubers are now 
often produced during winter, in boxes placed in a mush- 
room-house, or in a common cellar, if free from frost. In 
October, old potatoes are placed in layers, alternately with 
a mixture of tree-leaves and light mould. Vegetation soon 
proceeds ; and there being no opportunity for the unfold- 
ing of stems and leaves, the energies of the plants are ex- 
panded in the production of young tubers. Before mid- 
winter these often attain the size and appearance of early 
potatoes ; but they are much inferior in quality, being wa- 
tery and of little flavor. 

Of the varieties known in the United States, the Mer- 
cer, an American Seedling, is almost exclusively the mar- 
ket potato of Philadelphia, where, however, some few per- 
sons fairly appreciate the superior value for eating of the 
Foxite. The Mercer, Carter, and Pink-eye varieties are 
most prized in New York, whilst the two varieties known 
by the names of Blue Jackets and Winnebagocs, are most 
esteemed at the Eastward. Few if any of the varieties 
found to succeed best in l^^ngland do well in the United 
States, where native seedlings, including such as we have 
named, turn out by far the best crops, both as to quantity 
and quality. The potato yields best in the Northern and 
Eastern States, especially Maine, where it enters largely 
into the ftirmer's crops. 

Where the soil is heavy, a compost is recommended to 
lighten and arouse it up, and render it productive, consist- 
ing of well-decayed leaves, fresh stable manure, and ashes, 
well mixed. Unless the land be new virgin soil, it is in 
vain to expect a heavy crop of potatoes without a previous 
heavy manuring. Fresh stable manure is preferred to that 



THE POTATO. 183 

which has been allowed to rot. The potato in its growth 
takes up a great deal of potash, and hence the great utility 
of ashes as a fertilizer peculiarly adapted to this crop. 
The green sand marl of New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, 
and Virginia, is well known to increase the product of the 
potato, and this it is supposed to do by virtue of the pot- 
ash it contains. A cool climate and rather moist soil be- 
ing most favorable to this root, it has been found highly 
advantageous to keep the manure on the top of the pota- 
toes, as this affords protection against the heating and dry- 
ing effects of the sun. Where the potatoes have been 
planted, and the ground entirely covered soon afterwards 
with a thin layer of straw or coarse hay, fine crops have 
been produced, although no subsequent cultivation was re- 
sorted to. 

Potatoes are planted sometimes whole, but most fre- 
quently cut into several pieces. Some persons contend 
that the largest sized potatoes should alone be taken for 
planting, others think the medium sized preferable, whilst 
others again believe the very smallest will answer every 
purpose. Those who use the smallest sizes should be care- 
ful to plant them entire, or cut but very little. A large- 
sized potato may be so divided as to make eight sets, whilst 
one of medium size should not be divided into more than 
four or six sets. The sets should be laid in the rows with 
the eyes upwards, and about ten inches apart, the rows be- 
ing from eighteen to twenty inches asunder in gardens, but 
wider in lots and fields, where they are worked by the cul- 
tivator and plough. The sets for planting should be cut 
at least a week before they are to go in the ground, and it 
is a good plan to roll them in ground plaster of Paris or 
old slaked lime. 

The culture of the potato should not be repeated upon 



184 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

the same ground until after a lapse of many years. It is 
also very advantageous to change them from one kind of 
soil to another. The first crop should be put in as early 
in March as the frost will permit, and the manure laid be- 
neath the seed. The late crop may be planted about the 
middle of April or beginning of May, although fine yields 
are often obtained from planting a month later. But there 
is risk in planting late from the droughts of summer, and 
from their liability of taking on a second growth in autumn, 
should the season be wet. In some part of Britain, and 
especially in Ireland, they sometimes transplant from one 
field to another the stems of growing potatoes, after these 
have grown six or eight inches long, in the same way that 
cabbage plants are set out, and the crops are said to be 
equally good with those where the potato sets were used. 
But this evidently requires for its success a climate much 
more moist than can be found in the United States, unless 
it be in Oregon. 

Sweet Potato {Convolvulus Batatus). — The Sweet 
Potato grows to great perfection in the Southern States, 
and also in that portion of New Jersey and Delaware where 
the soil is light, sandy, and warm.* The first step in their 
culture is to provide the sprouts which are to be planted 
out in hills. For this purpose, the whole potatoes are 
placed five or six inches apart in hotbeds early in April, 
and covered three or four inches deep. When they throw 
up sprouts, which may be expected in three or four weeks 
after planting, these, when about three or four inches above 
the level of the bed, may be separated from the parent root 
and planted out in hills, leaving other shoots to follow for 

* By sprouting them in a hotbed we have often raised them in great por- 
feotion in the northern counties of Western New York. 



THE TURNIP. 185 

successive plantings. The setting-out must be in beds 
about four feet apart, each bed or hill being raised nearly 
a foot above the common level of the ground. Some make 
continuous banks four feet apart, and plant the sprouts on 
the top about a foot asunder. After planting, they have 
to be kept clean of weeds until the vines cover the ground 
and prevent further working. A shovelful of some good 
rotten manure, street dirt, or light compost, should be put 
into each hill previous to putting out the sets. 

Jerusalem Artichoke {Helianthus tuberosus) or tuber- 
ous-rooted sunflower. — This plant, which is a native of 
Brazil, derives its epithet Jerusalem from a corruption of 
the Italian Girasole, sunflower, and Artichoke^ from the 
resemblance, in flavor, which its tubers bear to the floral 
receptacles or bottoms of the artichoke. It is propagated 
by means of its tubers in the manner of potatoes. In 
March they are planted out in rows three or four feet asunder, 
and in autumn the new tubers are fit for use. For the 
sake of convenience, it is advantageous to store them, 
though the roots are hardy enough to bear the winter 
frosts. Some, indeed, allow them to remain in the ground, 
and dig them up when required. In this way a sufficient 
number of sets are generally left in the ground, and the 
stalks are thinned into rows in summer ; but this is a 
slovenly mode of treatment, and seldom produces well- 
flavored crops. 

The Turnip (Brassica Rapa), like the potato, has, to. a 
great extent, migrated into the fields, and become the care 
of the husbandman more than of the gardener. The fol- 
lowing are the most esteemed garden sorts in England : 



186 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

Early White Dutch, Yellow Maltese, 

Early Stone, Dutch Yellow, 

Green-topped White, Aberdeen Yellow, 

Long White, Teltow. 

Besides these, the Navet of the French (Brassica Na- 
pus V. esculenta) is occasionally cultivated, and more fre- 
quently the Swedish Turnip or Rutabaga [Brassica cam- 
pestris v. Wapo-brassica, L.) which is a most excellent win- 
ter sort, though it belongs more properly to the farm. For 
early crops, the white Dutch is the principal variety ; the 
other white sorts, and the beautiful yellow Maltese, are 
useful in summer and the beginning of autumn. The yel- 
low Dutch being capable of enduring a considerable degree 
of frost, affords the most appropriate winter supply. The 
teltow or French turnip is remarkable for being high-flaror- 
ed, and is used only for seasonmg to soups or stews. 

Turnips succeed best in a rich, well- worked soil, of a 
light or medium quality. The first sowing is made about 
the end of March, in a warm situation ; and it is usual to 
put in additional sowings, once a fortnight or three weeks, 
till the end of August. The early crops are sown broad- 
cast^ and the later in drills about a foot asunder. After 
the plants have shown a rough leaf or two, they are thinned 
out, being left at the distance of eight or ten inches in the 
drill ; and the ground is hoed and kept free from weeds. 
As turnips which have stood the winter throw up their 
seed-stalks early in spring, after which their roots become 
stringy, and are much deteriorated, it is useful to store 
the turnips in the winter, keeping them in a close place, 
and covering them with straw. 

A small sowing may take place so late as the middle of 
September ; and if the winter prove mild or open (as often 
happened previous to 1837-8), young turnips of excellent 



THE TURNIP. 187 

flavor may thus be procured in the months of January and 
February. The best sort for this late sowing is the Dutch 
yellow, which (as already hinted) resists the cold and 
inclement weather better than the white. For this winter 
crop a liberal application of stimulating manure, such as 
rape-cake and pigeon dung, was recommended by the late 
excellent Mr. Stuart of Pinkie garden ; he sowed in drills 
a foot asunder, and thinned out the plants to six inches 
apart in the drills : a sheltered border was preferred, but 
no other artificial protection was given ; and his success 
was complete. 

The young plants, while in the seed leaf, are often de- 
stroyed by a small beetle called the turnip-fly {Haltica ne- 
morum). Many remedies have been proposed : it has been 
found beneficial to dust the rows with quick-lime ; but per- 
haps the best precaution is to sow thick, and thus ensure a 
sufficient supply both for the insect and the crop. The 
insect soon ceases to feed and disappears. 

In the United States the Turnip, though a highly valu- 
able product of the soil, is by no means so important a crop 
as it is in England. The varieties which have been found 
best adapted to the soil and climate of the Middle States, 
are the Early White Dutch or Wliite Strap-leaved^ of 
which there are the round and flat kinds ; the Early Red- 
top Dutch^ or Strap-leaved Red-top^ resembling the pre- 
ceding in form, but having the portion of the root which 
grows above ground of a red or purple color ; the Early 
Yellow Dutch. For spring use, the Swedish Turnip, or 
Ruta Baga, should be sown from the middle to the end 
of July. 

It is computed that an ounce of seed will suffice for a 
bed four feet wide by forty long. For an early crop, sow 
as soon as the frost is out of the ground, in drills or broad- 



188 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

cast, as most convenient. For the fall and winter supply, 
sow in August. In dry seasons, the young turnips are 
very apt to be eaten off by the turnip fly, so that, to obvi- 
ate this and other causes of failures, resowings are often 
called for. When the plants are too thick, they should be 
thinned to about three inches apart. Good seed will ger- 
minate, under favorable circumstances, in from thirty-six 
to forty-eight hours. 

The Carrot {Daticus Carota) is one of the native Um- 
belliferae of England, but has been much transformed by 
cultivation ; the root swelling and becoming succulent and 
of agreeable flavor. The best varieties are the Early 
Home or Dutch, and the Orange-red Carrot ; the former 
for early, the latter for general cultivation. The Altring- 
ham or Large Orange Carrot is in great repute ; it is dis- 
tinguished by a considerable portion of the root remaining 
above ground. The carrot likes a light, deep, fresh soil, in 
which it may be at liberty to push down its long spindle- 
shaped roots. A few Early Home carrots may be sown 
in February on a moderate hotbed. In the beginning of 
March, the same sort may be sown in the open air. In 
April, the orange variety may follow as a general crop : it 
succeeds best in drills. The Long White Carrot is of deli- 
cate flavor, is easily cultivated, but does not keep well. In 
many old gardens, the early plants are liable to the attacks 
of a small grub, the larva of some insect ; it is therefore a 
useful precaution to sow a moderate crop of the Early 
Home variety in July. After sowing, it is only necessary 
to thin the plants and keep them clear of weeds. The 
roots are stored in winter in the manner of turnips. 

Carrot seed, being so extremely light, should be sown 
when the weather is perfectly calm, disposed in drills or 



I'ARSNIPS. 189 

rows, and covered very lightly, say not more than half an 
inch deep. To separate the seeds, which are 'apt to stick 
together, let them be rubbed between the hands in dry sand 
or earth. When the plants are up, they may be thinned 
with a narrow hoe, or otherwise, so as to be left from three 
to four inches apart, and if intended to remain long in the 
ground, they may be left six inches apart. The usual time 
for sowing the main crop in the United States is from the 
first of May to the first of June. 

The Parsnip (Pastinaca sativa) is now less cultivated in 
England than it was in Catholic times, when it was a favor- 
ite accompaniment to dried fish in Lent. To some its fla- 
vor is not agreeable ; but is a very nutritious vegetable, 
and of easy digestion. Like the carrot, its root is long 
and tapering, difi"ering chiefly in being of a whitish color. 
Its culture is also very much the same. There is a variety 
with short roundish roots, called the Turnip-rooted Pars- 
nip, very well suited for garden culture. 

The parsnip is a sweet and wholesome vegetable, more 
generally relished and eaten at American tables than the 
carrot. They are also sometimes made into a marmalade, 
and are even said to be capable of yielding a good wine. 
They constitute an admirable food for horses, mixed of 
course with dry food, and when given to cows add greatly 
to the quantity and good quality of the milky products, to 
which they impart no unpleasant flavor, such as is found to 
follow the use of the turnip, cabbage, &c. The varieties 
best known in the Middle States are the Guernesey, and 
the Sugar or Hollow Crown^ the first being best adapted 
for large crops in fields, and the latter for gardens. They 
may be sown in the spring from March to May, in drills, 
and covered about an inch deep. Thin to eight inches. 



190 KITCHEM GARDEN. 

Left in the ground, they will stand almost any degree of 
freezing cold in winter. 

Red Beet (Beta vulgaris) a biennial plant, native of 
the shores of the south of Europe. The boiled root is 
eaten cold, in thin slices, cither by itself or as a salad : it 
is also often used as a pickle. The varieties are numerous, 
but the most common arc the Long-rooted, the Short or 
Turnip-rooted, the ]5assano, and the Gigantic dark beet. 
There is a fine French variety called Castlenaudary, from 
a town in Languedoc ; but as yet it is little known in this 
country, 

The red beet prospers in a rich, deep soil, not recently 
manured, and which has been well pulverized by the spade. 
During April the seeds may be sown in drills, fifteen inches 
asunder, and the plants are afterwards to be thinned to eight 
inches from each other in the lines. In the northern parts 
of the island, the roots are stored in winter, care being 
taken not to break them or cut off the leaves too closely, as 
they bleed when injured. 

In the United States the beet is a favorite vegetable, 
largely cultivated in gardens for the table, and in lots and 
fields for stock. The Sugar Beet and lluta Baga are, how- 
ever, generally chosen for the latter purpose. 

The Tur nip-root cd variety is considered the earliest, 
whilst the Jjong Ilcd is planted for the principal crop from 
the middle of May to the 20th of June. 

The WJiite Beet (Beta cicla) is chiefly cultivated for its 
stalks or leaves, the mid-rib of which, divested of the sides 
or leafy part, is added to soups, or, when peeled and boiled, 
dressed and eaten like asparagus. The Swiss Chard is 
one variety of the white beet, used in the same way. The 
Silver or Sea-Kale Beet much resembles the White Beet, 



SKIRRET SCORZONERA. 191 

but has much larger leaves and stems, and when cooked 
bears more resemblance to Sea-Kale. 

The beet is sown as soon as the frost is out of the ground. 
For this, as for all root crops, the soil should be broken 
deep, and rendered very fine. Drop the seeds in the drills 
about three inches apart, cover an inch deep and tread, or 
roll the earth down firmly. When up and finely growing, 
thin out to six inches apart. 

Skirret {Sium Sisarum) is a native of China, now sel- 
dom seen in English gardens. Its tubers are used like 
parsnips. It is a perennial, and may be propagated by 
separating the roots in spring ; but it succeeds better by 
annual sowings, which may be made in April. 

This root is a white, sweet, and pleasant vegetable, cooked 
and eaten much like Salsify. The seed may be sown in 
beds from the middle of April to the first of May. They 
should be placed in drills, and when well started in growth, 
thinned so as to remain five or six inches apart. The roots 
will be fit for the table about the middle of November, and, 
like those of the carrot, &c., so continue till spring. But 
they do not resist frost like the parsnip, and require to be 
taken up and stored away in a shed or cellar, covered with 
dry sand or earth. 

ScoRzoNERA (ScoTzonera Hispanica) and Salsify (Tra- 
gopogon porrifolius) are generally associated together in 
gardens, and are now less cultivated in England than they 
deserve. The roots are used in soups, and sometimes as 
dressed side-dishes. They are sown in lines, and treated 
like the crops of red beet or parsnip. 

Salsify, known by the common appellation of Oyster 
Plant J is a native of Britain, where it is found growing 



192 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

wild in the fields. Its white roots, somewhat resembling 
small parsnips, are much esteemed by many, who trace in 
their flavor some resemblance to that of the oyster. The 
green stems or shoots, which rise from the roots of year old 
plants in the spring, are boiled and eaten like asparagus. 
In the Middle States, the seed may be sown pretty thickly, 
any time in April or May, in drills a foot apart, covering 
them an inch deep. Thin the growing plants first to three 
inches, and finally so as to stand only six inches apart. 
The culture resembles that for parsnips and carrots. In 
autumn, before hard frosts set in, some of the roots might 
be taken up for use, and secured in moist sand under shel- 
ter. Or, like parsnips, they may be left in the ground and 
dug up as wanted, remaining good all winter. 

The Radish (Raphanus sativus) is a native of China. 
There are two principal varieties, the spindle-rooted and the 
turnip-rooted radish ; and of these the subvarieties are nu- 
merous. The following may be mentioned 

Spindle-shaped. Round-shaped. 

Short-topped Scarlet. ^ White Turnip. 

Scarlet Salmon. Yellow Turnip. 

Long White. White Spanish. 

White Russian. Black Spanish. 

The first two and the white turnip radish are best suited 
for early crops, the scarlet salmon for summer, the yellow 
turnip for autumn, and the white and black Spanish for 
winter. There are, besides, oval or oblong Summer Rad- 
ishes, both white and red, lately brought into notice. 

Some cultivators in England sow their earliest crop in 
November, in a warm situation, at the foot of a wall or in 
front of a pinery, and continue sowing once a month, if 
weather permit, during winter. Others grow their first 



OXALIS ROOT. • 193 

radi'shes under frames, aiding vegetation by a sliglit bottom- 
heat. As the season advances, successional supplies are 
sown once a fortnight From the middle of July to the 
middle of September the turnip-radishes are sown from 
time to time ; and on the approach of frost they may be 
stored up in sand, and kept throughout winter. 

OxALis Roots {Oxalis cre?iata, Jaoq] 0. arracacha^ 
0". Don) have of late years been cultivated for the table 
in England. The plant produces tubers at the root, some- 
what in the manner of the potato^ but they are of smaller 
size, seldom exceeding that of a walnut By cultivation, 
however, by manuring, laying down, earthing up, watering, 
and other helps known to horticulturists, considerable in- 
crease of size in the tubers may be effected. From the 
mode of culture adopted by the most intelligent gardeners, 
we conclude that a rich light soil is the most proper ; that 
it is useful to forward the plants in a hot bed, in the way 
practiced with early peas, so as to have them ready to 
transplant by the middle or end of May ; that in planting 
out they should be inserted in a sloping position, so that a 
considerable portion of the stem may be covered by the 
soil ; that earthing up, or drawing up additional soil to the 
.stems in June and July is important ; and that laying 
down the stems horizontally in August, and covering them 
slightly (to the depth perhaps of two inches) with mould, 
tends greatly to promote their productiveness. It should 
be observed that the tubers continue to swell in size till 
November, or till stopped by frost It is believed that the 
largest tubers, having full eyes or buds, yield the strongest 
plants ; and, therefore, a portion of the largest should be 
reserved for seed-stock. Cut sets of these large tubers are, 
by some cultivators, preferred to whole tubers. The rest, 



194 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

from tliC size of a filbert to a walnut, go to the cook. The 
mode of dressing for table is simple. The tubers, after 
being cleaned, are boiled for about ten minutes, or till they 
be slightly softened ; and they are then served up with 
white sauce. Some persons merely put them into boiling 
water for a few minutes ; then, pouring off the water,, 
transfer them to a covered saucepan ; and place the pan 
upon hot cinders, drawing some of these to the lid ; in this 
way the tubers are rendered more dry or mealy. They 
have a pleasant flavor ; somewhat resembling a new potato, 
with the additional zest of a nut or kernel ;. but also with 
a certain degree of acidity. The oxalis comes from the 
same country that afforded us the invaluable potato, and 
has been extolled as likely to rival it ; but this it will 
never do : a dish of oxalis may form an agreeable variety 
and adjunct, but no more ; bearing to the potato such rela- 
tion as sea-kale does to asparagus. It maybe added, how- 
ever, that the oxalis crenata is, in other respects, a useful 
vegetable. The leaves may be used as salad, and they con- 
stitute, indeed, the principal salad at Lima. The shoots 
and young branches are found to make an agreeable puree,* 
having the wood-sorrel flavor ; and the larger stems have 
been used in tarts, in the manner of rhubarb stalks, and 
been found more tender. The Oxalis Deppei tubers are 
hardy, prolific, and excellent when properly cooked ; being 
free of the acidity of that of 0. crenata. 

The tuberous roots of a lately introduced species of In- 
dian Chess, Tropaolum tuberosum^ were for some time in 
vogue, being praised as having, when boiled, a " very deli- 
cate flavor, resembling the richest asparagus," The plant 
is readily multiplied by cuttings during the summer months; 
and the young plants thus produced furnish a crop of tu- 
* A French soup. 



THE ONION. 195 

bers late in the autumn of the same year. But these have 
not maintained their character ; most people regarding 
their sharp anise flavor as far from delicate. They are 
better adapted for being used as a pickle. 

Nasturtium^ or Indian Cress, {TropcBolum Majus). 
The common yellow-flowered nasturtium, whilst it orna- 
ments- the flower garden with its rich yellow or crimson 
blossoms, is a valuable product of the kitchen garden. It 
is considered a native of Peru or Chili. The curled leaf- 
stems and green seed pods are eaten as salads, or made into 
pickles, rivaling capers. The seed may be sown about the 
first of April, in rows or patches, and covered an inch deep. 
As the plants will run from five feet to three times that 
length, they must be provided with proper supports, and 
will form excellent trellises, or blinds. The yellow stands 
the heat better than the crimson. 

Alliacious Plants, 

The Onion {Allium Cepa) is too well known to require 
description, and has been cultivated in England from time 
immemorial. Among the varieties may be enumerated : 

Strasburg, White Portugal or Reading, 

French Yellow, Nocera Onion. 

James's Keeying, Blood Red, 

Globe, Tripoli or Giant 

Silver-skinned, large and small, Potato, tree, and Pearl Onion. 

Besides these, the Welsh Onion or Ciboule (Allium fis- 
tulosum, L.), a native of Siberia, is sometimes grown for 
scallions. For a general crop, the Strasburg, French Yel- 
low, and James's Keeping varieties may be esteemed the 
best, as they are hardy and keep long. The White Por- 
tugal grows to a large size, is mild in flavor, but doea 
not keep well. The small Silver-skinned is chiefly used for 



196 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

pickling. The Nocera, introduced by Mr. Lawson, in 
1843, is not only of good quality, but possesses the advan- 
tage of not being so apt to send up flower-stalks as the 
other kinds. 

The onion affects a light, rich, well-worked soil, which 
has not been recently manured. The principal crop may 
be sown in the course of the month of March, according to 
the state of the weather and the dryness of the ground. 
Onions are cultivated in beds, four or five feet in width, 
and are regularly thinned, hoed, and kept free from weeds. 
About the beginning of September the crop is ripe or ready 
for lifting, which is known by the withering of the leaves ; 
the roots are taken up, and, after being well dried in the 
open air, are stored in a garret or loft, where they may be 
perfectly secured from damp. 

Towards the end of August a secondary crop is sown, to 
afford a supply of young onions, or scallions^ as they are 
called, in the spring months. The Strasburg and White 
Portugal may be used for this purpose. Those which are 
not required for the kitchen may be allowed to stand, and 
if the flower-bud be picked out on its first appearance, and 
the earth be stirred about them, they will frequently pro- 
duce bulbs equal in size and quality to the large ones that 
are imported from the Continent. 

Some eminent horticulturists have strongly recommend- 
ed the transplanting of onions. Mr. Knight recommends 
sowing the White Portugal onion in May under the shade 
of a tree, where the plants remain of a diminutive size, 
during the autumn and winter, and are planted out in the 
succeeding spring. Other cultivators collect all the minute 
bulbs of the ordinary crop, and use them in the same way. 
Mr. Macdonald, Dalkeith Park, was in the practice of con- 
fining his operations to one summer. He sowed in Feb- 



THE ONION. 



197 



ruary on a slight hotbed, or sometimes merely under a 
glass-frame. In the first or second week of April, accord- 
ing to the state of the weather, he transplanted the young 
seedlings in rows, eight inches asunder, and at the distance 
of four or five inches in the row. Previous to planting, the 
roots of the seedlings were dipped in a puddle of one part 
of soot to three parts of earth, an expedient which was 
found useful in guarding the transplanted onions from the 
attack of the wire-worm. He found that onions thus 
treated attained a large size. 

The Potato- Onion is propagated by the lateral bulbs, 
which it throws out, under ground, in considerable numbers. 
It may be planted about midwinter, and will ripen early in 
the summer. Its flavor is not unpleasant ; but the plant, 
being rather troublesome in cultivation, is not likely to 
supersede the common onion. 

The Tree-Onion, introduced from Canada, is a vivipa- 
rous variety, producing small bulbs in place of flowers ; 
but the bulbs are strong-scented. 

The Pearl-Onion, of recent introduction into England, 
and hitherto little known (Allium Halleriifj^. Don ?) pro- 
duces cluster? or small bulbs at the root. These little 
bulbs are of a fine white color, like the silver-skinned, and 
very fit for pickling. 

The onion requires a very rich soil, and forms an excep- 
tion to most plants in regard to the necessity of changing 
the ground. Where the same patch has been kept well 
manured, heavy annual crops have been taken off for thirty 
or forty years successively-. 

In the Middle States, where a field crop is the object, 
the ground, after being heavily manured, is dug or plough- 
ed early in spring, well raked or harrowed, and divided 
into very shallow drills about nine inches apart, with 



198 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

alleys between every three rows about fifteen inches in 
width. Young onions about the size of beans are to be 
planted in these rows or drills, but not covered with earth. 
These are to be thinned so as to stand about three inches 
apart, aad kept clean and hoed every few days. In June, 
the vacant alleys may be dug and planted in cabbage, as 
this will not interfere with the onion crop, which ripens 
and comes off in July.* After being pulled they are laid 
out to dry, and then placed under shelter. 

The young onions intended for planting the succeeding 
year are raised from seed sown in shallow drills early in 
April. About the middle of July, when they have attain- 
ed the size of beans, these are taken out of the ground, and 
put away in some dry place where there is a free circulation 
of air, and thus kept till the following spring to be planted 
out as described. 

With regard to the onion in the American climate, it is 
a singular fact that they will not ripen (in the Middle 
States at least,) unless the seed be sown very early in the 
spring. They may, however, be preserved in their places 
through the winter by a light covering of old or short ma- 
nure, straw or other litter, placed over them in the fall. 

Although they may not become fully matured, onions 
can, however, be raised from the seed in one season suffi- 
ciently large for culinary purposes, and, where the soil and 
other circumstances are peculiarly congenial, quite as large 
as those which have occupied two seasons in their develop- 
ment. 

With regard to the Potato or Underground Onion it 
may be necessary to state that they should be planted in 

* When the onion bulbs are well expanded, they are injured if the ground 
be stirred around them with the hoe. Therefore, if the weeds require re- 
moval, this must be done by hand. 



SHALLOT. 199 

March, in rows eighteen inches apart, and sis inches from 
bulb to bulb, which should be covered about three inches 
deep. Cultivate and earth cr hill up like potatoes, and 
thej will continue to grow till about the first of August, when 
they are to be taken out of the ground, dried and treated 
like onions raised in the ordinary way. A single onion^ 
•slightly coverlid, will often produce five or siz of good size. 
The Tree or Welsh Onto??, is adapted to very cold coun- 
tries, shooting up rank .stems, upon which small bulbs 
grow instead of seeds. These small bulbs are preserved 
/and planted out next year, producing roots of considerable 
size, besides a fresh supply of little seed bulbs on the 
•stems. 

The Leek {AUium Porrum) is a, native of Switzerland, 
\mt has probably been cultivated in England for many cen- 
turies. The varieties are the narrow-leaved or Flanders 
ieek, 'the Scotch or fiag-leek, and the broad-leaved or tall 
London leek. Of these, the Scotch leek is considered as 
the most hardy ; and Mr. Handasyde^s Musselburgh va- 
riety is preferred. 

Leeks are sown in beds in spring, and in June or July 
rare planted out in rows fifteen or eighteen inches apart, and 
six inchef! asunder between the rows. The tips of tho 
fibrous roots are trimmed b^ore planting. When the 
weather is moist, it is found beneficial merely to lay the 
plants into the hole made by the dibble, without closing 
the earth upon it, the stem being by this means encouraged 
to swell out and fill the hole. 

Shallot {Allium ascalomcum) is a native of Palestine. 
It is much used in cookery for high-flavored soups and 
^r^vies, ajid is sometimes put into pickles. A variety 



200 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

called the Long-keeping is preferred. It is propagated bj 
the cloves, the smallest being selected for that purpose, and 
planted in October or November. Some recommend the 
mixing of soot with the manure, as a protection againsi 
the attacks of maggots, by which this plant is greatly in- 
fested. Late autumn planting, however^ is found the best 
expedient, as the bulbs are ripe and lifted next summer 
before the larvas commence their depredations. 

G-ARLic {Allium Sativum), and Rocambole {Allium 
Scorodoprasum)^ though common ingredients in continental 
cookery, are comparatively seldom used in England. A 
few rows will generally be found sufficient. They are pro- 
pagated by offsets or cloves from the bulbs, or by the bul- 
bils which grow on the flower-stem. The Chive or Give 
{Allium ScJioenoprasu77i), a pretty little native plant, is 
used occasionally as salad and alliaceous seasoning. A 
single row may be planted as an edging to an onion bed, 
and it is easily increased by parting the roots in spring and 
autumn. This is a hardy perennial, and when once started 
may be kept growing for many years. Its flavor partakes 
of that of the leek and onion. 

Hops, 

In New England and many other parts of our country^ 
almost every householder has his hop vine in one corner of 
his garden. It is so tenacious of life and so vigorous in its 
growth, that it very soon becomes a trespasser. Of late 
years, in our country, its consumption and production has 
so largely increased, that many farmers raise several acres 
each, from which they realize large profits, and induces Id 
this place general directions for its cultivation. 

The Hop is almost as easily cultivated as corn, and any 
good wheat or corn land is suitable. A sandy loam is very 



THE HOP. 



201 



good. The land should be in good heart, and well tilled, 
well drained and plowed deep or subsoiled, made level, 
and the roots of the vine planted in hills six feet 
apart each way ; some three or four roots, six or eight 
inches long, with two eyes in each, one for the root and one 
for the vine, placed horizontally in each hill, with a good 
shovel full of well rotted manure in each. The first sea- 
son after planting the crop will be hardly sufficient for set- 
ting the poles, so that a crop of corn or potatoes can 
be raised between the rows. It is very important that 
the whole ground be kept clean from weeds and grass 
by hoeing, or cultivating with plow, cultivator, &c., as not 
to injure the roots. The second spring clear off the ground 
and put another shovel full of manure or compost to each 
hill, and set two or three stout long poles to each hill, 
in such a manner that the sun and air will gain the 
fullest access to them. When the vines have grown two or 
three feet in length, guide them to the poles and fasten 
them with a withe of straw, grass, or woolen yarn — still 
cultivate it well and keep it clean. 

On the approach of frosts, watch the odor of the field, 
for when that has become strong and the color of the hop 
changing brown, they should be gathered by cutting the 
vines off at the ground and pulling up the pole, and bearing 
off the vines with them to a convenient place for pick- 
ing. This should be done in a neat, clean manner, care- 
fully gathering the pure hops in clean baskets, as free from 
leaves and vine as possible, by hand. Two cents ber bushel 
is the usual price paid for picking. Care should be taken to 
prevent the waste of the pollen or yellow lupuline, in which 
the chief value of the hop consists ; if that is lost they are 
nearly valueless. After picking they should be carefully 
spread and cured in a cool, shaded location, where they 



202 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

should be carefully and frequently stirred. Where many 
acres are raised, a drying-house is built of stone in the form, 
of a tunnel, say two or three feet square at the bottom, 
where an old stove is placed, and some twelve feet or more 
square at the top. Care should be taken before, during, and 
after drying to prevent the sweating of the hop,which is very 
injurious. Care should also be taken in packing in square 
bales of hemp cloth, placed in a box prepared the shape of 
the bale, with the side boards so arranged as to be removed 
from the bale when filled. 

The hop crop at present is more profitable than almost 
any other. Farmers in Otsego and Orange Counties, N. Y,, 
are realizing at the present price of hops (30 to 35 cents 
per pound) from S300 to $400 per acre. Some districts 
have gone into their cultivation very extensively, and the 
demand still keeps full pace with the supply. 

Complaint was recently made by the inspector of hops in 
Massachusetts, that " too many male hops were permitted 
(six hills are sufficient) to the acre in that State," and also 
they were injured by " too early picking, before they were 
ripe, and bad picking.'' Care must be taken to avoid 
frosts, and on that account a warm southern exposure is 
preferable. If a sandy soil is chosen, irrigation is of great 
advantage. Clay soil is very favorable if no water is 
allowed to rest on its surface or subsoil — that is quite fatal 
to the hop. Side hills that are liable to be washed should 
be avoided. Mr. H. R. Potter of East Hamilton, Madi- 
son County, N. Y., reported in the Albany Cultivator 7801 
lbs. of hops as the product of five acres in 1851. This, 
however, was one of the largest crops ever known. The 
whole expense of cultivation, interest, &c., was above $100 
per acre or $550. 



SPINACH,^ 203 

Spinaceous Plants, 

Spinach {Spinacea oleracea) is an a.iii'aal plant, and is a 
native of Western Asia. It has long been cultivated for 
the sake of its succuknt leaves, which, when properly 
dressed, form an agreeable and nutritious article of food. 
There are three varieties : the smooth-seeded, the large- 
leaved or Flanders, having also smooth seeds, and the 
prickly-seeded. The latter, as being the most hardy, is 
often called winter spinach. 

The first sowing is made in August, in some sheltered 
situation ; the plants, as they advance, are thinned, and 
the ground is hoed. In the beginning of winter the outer 
leaves become fit for use; in mild weather successive 
gatherings are obtained, and, with proper management, the 
crops may be prolonged to the beginning of May. 

To afford a succession-crop, the seeds of the round- 
leaved smooth-seeded varieties should be sown in the end 
of January, and again in February and March. From 
this period it is proper to sow small quantities once a fort- 
night, summer spinach lasting only a short time. The 
open spaces between the lines of cauliflower, and others of 
the cabbage tribe, will generally afford enough of room for 
these transient crops. They are generally sown in shallov/ 
drills, and are thinned out and weeded as maybe required. 

In the United States, the winter crops of spinach are 
sown in August, and the plants generally protected through 
the winter by a light covering of matts, straw, or other 
clean litter. The crops intended for summer and fall use, 
may be sown from the first of April to the middle of May, 
and will come in very well between the rows of peas. It 
requires rich ground, and is almost worthless where grovrn 
on thin or exhausted soil. Whefl too thick, the plants are 



204 FRUIT GARDEN, 

to be thinned out. The seed, though commonly sown 
broad-cast, are best in drills or rows nine inches apart, so 
as to admit of hoeing between. 

New Zealand Spinach ( TetragoJiia expansa) is a half- 
hardy annual, a native of New Zealand, from which it was 
brought by the late Sir Joseph Banks. The plants grow 
tall, spread wide, and the leaves form a good substitute for 
spinach. If the plants be well watered, they will continue 
to afford large quantities of succulent leaves during the 
hottest and driest weather, when summer spinach is useless. 
In England, the seed is usually sown in a pot placed in a 
melon-frame in March : the seedlings are transplanted 
singly into small pots, and kept under cover till the begin- 
ning of June, when they are plunged out at two or three 
feet apart, and treated somewhat like gourds. In gathering 
the leaves, care should be taken not to injure the leading 
shoots. 

QuiNOA Spinach {Choiojjodium Quinoa). This vegeta- 
ble is a native not only of Chili but of the table land of 
Mexico. It is described and figured by Ruiz and Pavon ; 
and Humboldt informs us that in Mexico the leaves are 
universally used as spinach or greens, and the seeds in 
soups, or like rice, so that quinoa there vies in utility with 
the potato itself. Although the plant had been known in 
Britain for a number of years, it was only during the 
autumn of 1834 that any considerable portion of seed was 
ripened or saved in this country. This was accomplished 
at Boy ton in Wiltshire, by Mr. Aylmer Bourke Lambert, 
the well-known patron of botany and horticulture. Con- 
sidering the elevated region in America in which the quinoa 
is successfully cultivated, there can be no doubt that its 
herbage may be freely produced in England ; but it seems 



GARDEN ORACHE CORN SALAD. 2(15 

probable that in order to secure the ripening of seeds, it 
will be requisite to place some plants close by a wall having 
a south or south-west aspect, as is practiced with seedling 
onions; more especially since we are warned by Willdenow 
that in Germany "semina sub dio non semper perficit. " There 
are two varieties, the common white-seeded or green Qui- 
noa, and the dark-seeded or red Quinoa, the former seem- 
ingly the more hardy, or at least germinating most freely. 
In the United States, the seed of Quinoa may be sown 
thinly, about the first of April, in rows an inch deep and 
about two feet apart. In a green state, the seed-pods 
make an excellent pickle. It has been raised, in the 
vicinity of Baltimore, by Mr. Gideon B. Smith, who 
found it very productive. It is cultivated in Peru and 
Chili as a grain crop, from whence its common name of 
Pertwian Rice. For further particulars in regard to this 
plant, the modes of preparing it as food, &c., see Farmers^ 
and Planters' Encyclopedia^ article Quinoa. 

Garden Or ache {Atriplex hortensis) Wild Spinach 
(Chenopodium Bonus Henricus), and Garden Patience 
{Rumex Patienta), are sometimes used in place of common 
spinach; but as, in England at least, they are deemed 
rather curious than useful, it may be sufficient merely to 
indicate their names. 

Corn Salad {Fedia Olitoria), called also Fettitus, or 
Lambs' Lettuce, is extensively cultivated and used in the 
United States as a spring raw salad. In France, they often 
boil and dress it like spinach. 

The seed is usually sown, about the middle of Septem- 
ber, in shallow drills, six inches apart, and covered lightly. 
Keep clear of weeds, and in November coyer lightly with 



206 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

straw or other clean litter. In mild winters tbe tender 
leaves will be fit for salad all the time, and should not be 
cut, but plucked with the fingers. If the seed used be not 
fresh, it will frequently be many months before it comes up. 
It grows spontaneously in the wheat-fifclds in England, in 
which climate it stands the winter in the fields, and afi"ords 
early pasturage to sheep and lambs, from which last cir- 
cumstance it derives one of its common names. 

Asparaginous Plants. 

Asparagus {Asparagus officinalis) is a perennial plant, 
a native of the shores of Britain, where it occurs sparingly, 
and of the steppes in the east of Europe. Though some- 
what unpromising while in a state of nature, it affords, in 
cultivation, an esculent of considerable value, and is there- 
fore grown extensively both in private and in sale gardens. 
The principal varieties are the red-topped and the green- 
topped, of which the latter, while it is less succulent, is 
considered the better flavored. There are numerous sub- 
varieties, such as the Battersea, Gravesend, Giant, &c,, 
which difi'er only slightly from those already mentioned. 

Asparagus, growing naturally on loose sand, should have 
a light, deep soil, through which it may be able to shoot 
its long stringy roots. Two feet and a half is considered 
a desirable depth, but in France the ground is sometimes 
prepared, by trenching and sifting, to the double of that 
depth. A considerable portion of old dung or of recent 
sea-weed is laid in the bottom of the trench ; and another 
top-dressingof well-rotted manure should be digged in pre- 
paratory to planting or sowing. The older horticulturists 
used to grow their asparagus in beds four or five feet wide, 
with intervening alleys of about eighteen inches in breadth. 
At present, in Scotland, it is customary to sow or plant 



ASPARAGUS. 207 

in rows from three to four feet asunder, a method which, 
in every way, is found to be most convenient. Except 
where the garden is new, when, of course, it is advantage- 
ous to procure a supply of ready-grown plants, it is thought 
preferable to keep up the stock of asparagus by sowing. 

The sowing is made in March, in slight drills ; and, as 
a portion of the seed often fails to germinate, it is a good 
precaution to employ about double the quantity of seed 
that may be ultimately necessary. If the plants come up 
too thickly, they may be thinned out towards the end of the 
first summer, to the distance of about six inches in the 
rows. The ground is hoed and kept clear of weeds. It is 
a common practice in England to take slight crops of 
onions, lettuce, cauliflower, or turnip, between the lines of 
asparagus during the first, and, if the rows be wide, also 
in the second year. The young heads or stalks, the part 
used, should not be cut before the third spring, and they 
are not in perfection till the fourth or fifth. 

The asparagus quarter can scarcely be over-manured. 
The proper time to perform this operation is in the end of 
autumn, when the annual flower-stalks are removed, pre- 
paratory for winter. When beds are employed, their sur- 
face should be stirred with a fork ; a layer of well-rotted 
hotbed dung is then laid on, and the whole covered with a 
sprinkling of earth from the alleys. If the plants are 
grown in rows, the manure is simply dug in by means of a 
three-pronged fork, care being taken not to injure the roots. 
This operation is repeated annually, and no other culture 
is required. It is necessary to observe a due moderation 
in reaping the crop, as the shoots, when much cut, become 
progressively smaller and less valuable. Hence it is a 
general rule with gardeners never to gather asparagus after 
peas have begun to come into season. Thus managed, a 



208 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

bed will continue productive for a number of years. A 
moderate coating of salt every fall is very useful. 

Asparagus readily admits of being forced. The most 
common method in England is to prepare, early in the 
year, a moderate hotbed of stable-litter, and to cover it 
with a common frame. After the heat of fermentation has 
somewhat subsided, the surface of the bed is lined with 
turf, to prevent the escape of vapor ; a layer of light earth 
or exhausted tan-bark is put over the turf, and in this the 
roots of asparagus plants five or six years old are closely 
placed. The crowns of the roots are then covered with two 
or three inches of soil. A common three-light frame may 
hold 500 or 600 plants, and will afford a supply for seve- 
ral weeks. After planting, linings are applied when ne- 
cessary, and air is occasionally admitted. Care must be 
taken not to scorch the roots. Where there are pit"^ for 
the culture of late melons or succession pine-plants, such 
as the Alderston-pit, or the succession-pit with the hot 
water circulation, they may advantageously be applied to 
this purpose. 

It has sometimes been recommended to force asparagus 
on the ground on which it grows. Perhaps the best me- 
thod is that suggested by Mr. Spiers, in vol. iv. of the 
Gardeyierh Magazine. The seed is sown in beds four 
feet eight inches wide, and there are four rows of plants 
eleven inches asunder in the beds. The beds are to have 
side trenches, two feet wide, and two feet deep, lined by 
pigeon-hole brick-work — an operation which we presume 
need not be performed till immediately before forcing, that 
is, when the plants are at least three yeajs old. In Octo- 
ber, when the stalks are cleared away, the surface is cover- 
ed with straw-litter. When forcing is commenced, the 
brick-lined trenches are filled with hot stable-dung, well 



ASPARAGUS. 209 

beaten, to about eighteen inches above the surface of the 
ground. The bed is also covered with prepared dung. In 
about twelve days, when the buds have begun to appear, 
the latter covering is removed, glazed frames are placed, 
resting upon the brickwork, a little fine soil is sifted over 
the plants, the linings in the trenches are raised higher, 
and the whole treated like a common hotbed. In this way, 
we are informed, excellent supplies may be obtained, and 
the plants may be forced every year. 

Before leaving this subject, it may be mentioned that 
about Bath the young flower-spikes of Ornithogalum 
pyrenaicum^ found native in that neighborhood, are used 
like asparagus, under the name Prussian Grass. 

Much time may be saved in getting full-bearing beds, if, 
instead of sowing the seed, the roots be set out, a practice 
commonly resorted to in the United States, where the 
young roots are a regular marketable article. The soil 
should be a loam, at least two feet deep, and cannot well 
be made too rich. The beds should be about four feet 
wide with two feet alleys between. The roots, when taken 
up, must not be long exposed to the air, so as to get dry, 
and should be deposited in rows drawn with a line stretch- 
ed lengthwise on the bed, about twelve inches asunder, be- 
ginning nine inches from the edge. The small trench or 
furrows may be about three inches deep, and the roots set 
in these about nine inches apart, are to be covered with the 
fine earth thrown out in making the furrows. The culti- 
vation during the first season consists merely in keeping 
down the weeds and grass. The succeeding winter, cover 
three or four inches deep with well-rotted manure. In 
order to secure the formation of strong crowns, the plants 
are allowed during the first two summers to run up to 
Stalks. After the third year, the stalks should be cut 



210 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

down close to the ground, the beds kept clean from weeds, 
and in winter covered with two or three inches of manure. 
As soon in the spring as the frost is out of the ground, the 
earth in the beds should be loosened by means of a fork 
introduced into the soil to the depth of three or four inches, 
turning up the earth carefully, so as not to injure the 
roots. Trim off the edges of the beds, so as to make 
them even. A full crop may be expected the fourth sea- 
son after planting. Cutting should not be continued after 
the middle of June. Beds well situated and properly 
managed will continue to yield good crops for twelve or 
fifteen years. Salt and brine will be found extremely 
valuable applications to the asparagus beds, and should be 
put on in winter. 

Sea-Kale (Crambe-maritima) is a perennial plant, 
growing spontaneously on the shores of the southern parts 
of England. The roots are spreading, the leaves waved, 
glaucous, and covered with a fine mealy bloom, and the 
stalks rise to about two feet high, bearing white flowers, 
which smell of honey, followed by seed-pods, each contain- 
ing a single seed. 

The country people in the west of England, have long 
been accustomed to use in spring the young shoots, which, 
by passing through the sand and gravel on which they 
grow, are somewhat blanched ^and rendered tender. In 
conformity with this practice, the cultivation formerly 
recommended consisted merely in covering the beds on the 
approach of spring with a little dry earth or sand, in order 
to the blanching or internating of the shoots. These were 
cut as they appeared in March and April. Now, however, 
the blanching is not only much more completely effected, 
but simple means have been devised for supplying the table 



SEA-KALE. 211 

for half the year, including all the winter months. It has 
within these few years become a vegetable of common oc- 
currence in the markets both of London and Edinburgh. 

Sea-kale seems partial to a light dry soil. If manure 
be added, it should consist of sea-weed or half-rotted leaves 
of trees. The plants may be propagated by ofisets, or 
small pieces of the roots having buds or eyes attached to 
them; but the most eligible method is by seed. Very 
tolerable blanched stalks are sometimes produced by plants 
only nine months old from the seed, and after two summers, 
seedling plants will have acquired sufficient strength for 
general cropping. The sowing is made in March, the 
seeds being deposited in patches of three or four together : 
the patches are arranged in lines three feet apart, and two 
feet in the line. In order to secure a succession, and to 
obviate the bad effects of forcing, it is proper to sow a few 
lines of sea-kale every year. 

Various modes of blanching the shoots have been resort- 
ed to. In the first volume of the Memoirs of '■the Cale- 
donian Horticultural Society, Sir George S. Mackenzie 
describes a very convenient method. The sea-kale bed is 
merely covered, early in spring, with clean and dry oat- 
straw, which is removed as often as it becomes musty. 
The shoots rise through the straw, and are at the same 
time pretty well blanched. Others employ dried tree- 
leaves for this purpose. Another method, practiced by 
many gardeners, consists in placing over each plant a 
flower-pot of the largest size, inverted; but convenient 
blanching-pots, with movable lids, have been constructed 
for the express purpose. It may be proper to provide 
from thirty to sixty such pots : and it may be expected 
that each pot will, on an average, furnish a dish and a half 
of shoots during the season. 



212 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

With the aid of these pots, sea-kale {^forced in the open 
border in the way now to be described. In the latter end 
of autumn a bed of vigorous sea-kale plants is dressed, that 
is, the stalks are cut over, and the decayed leaves are re- 
moved. The ground is, at the same time, loosened about 
the eyes, and a thin stratum of gravel or sifted coal-ashes 
is laid on the surface to keep down earth-worms. A pot 
with a movable cover is placed over each plant or each patch 
of plants. Stable-litter is then closely packed all round 
the pots, and raised up to about a foot above them; the 
whole bed thus assuming the form and appearance of a large 
hot-bed. When fermentation begins, a thermometer should 
be occasionally introduced into a few of the pots, to ascer- 
tain that the temperature within does not exceed eO'^ Fah- 
renheit, and the depth of the litter is to be regulated 
accordingly. The vegetation of the included plants is 
speedily promoted ; so that, in the space of a month or six 
weeks, the shoots will be ready for cuttijig, which being 
thus excluded from the light, are most effectually blanched, 
and found to be exceedingly tender and crisp. By means 
of the movable lids, the plants are examined and the shoots 
gathered without materially disturbing the litter. By com- 
mencing the litter coverings at various times, on diflFerent 
portions of the quarter, a supply of sea-kale for the table 
can be readily furnished from the middle of November till 
the middle of May. 

This vegetable, though not as well known in the United 
States as it deserves to be, can be raised with very little 
trouble. The seed may be sown thinly in March, or in 
April, in drills about a foot apart, and covered about an 
inch deep. When the plants begin to grow, thin out so as 
to leave them at first an inch, and afterwards two or three 
inches apart. In November, cover the crowns of the roots 



LETTUCE. 213 

with earth raised a few inches. Early in the following spring 
prepare a bed similar to that intended for asparagus, dig- 
ging the soil at least fifteen inches deep. Set out the plants, 
about two feet apart, the crown of each root being placed 
about two inches below the level of the bed. The beds 
will continue to produce as long as those of asparagus, 
and like this are greatly improved by applications of salt 
and brine. The plants should not be allowed to go to 
seed. This vegetable is in season from Christmas to 
April. 



Salads^ SfC. 

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is a hardy annual, but of 
what country it is a native is unknown. Some suppose it 
to be a seminal variety of the native L. virosa, a poisonous 
plant, " which," says Professor Lindley, "%ould not be 
more remarkable than the fact that the indigenous celery is 
one of our strongest poisons." Besides its well-known 
uses, it may be mentioned that the late Dr. Dundan, Senior, 
of Edinburgh, prepared from its milky juice a medicine 
denominated Lactucarium, similar in its action to opium, 
but capable of being administered in cases where idiosyn- 
cratic repugnance rendered that powerful drug inadmissi- 
ble. There are two principal varieties, the Cos or upright, 
and the round-headed or Cabbage lettuce. The sub varie- 
ties are numerous ; we may mention the following : — 

Upright. Round. 

Black-seeded Cos, White Cabbage, 

Bath Cos, Brown Dutch, 

White Cos, Marseilles, 

Crown Cos, Grand Admirable. 

By proper care, fresh lettuce may be had throughout the 



214 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

whole year. The first sowing is made in January, in some 
sheltered situation, or under hand-glasses, or in February 
on a gentle hotbed. The seedlings are transplanted as soon 
as the weather will permit. A second sowing may be made 
in the beginning of March, and another in April. Of all 
culinary crops, lettuce is reckoned the least exhausting, 
some gardeners, indeed, regarding it as tending to enrich 
rather than impoverish the soil : it may therefore be raised 
on the fruit-tree borders. Besides the ordinary compart- 
ment, the seedlings may be planted on celery ridges, be- 
tween rows of slight crops of other vegetables, and, in short, 
in any odd corner which may occur. To obtain a winter 
supply, a sowing of some of the more hardy varieties, such 
as the Black-seeded green, or Bath Cos, and the Brown 
Dutch, is made in August or September, and the plants are 
pricked out in October along the bottom of walls, or under 
glazed frames. 

Endive {Cichorium Endivia) is an annual plant, a na- 
tive of China, from which it was introduced in 1548. It 
is the lettuce of winter, the blanched hearts being used for 
salads and in soups. The varieties most commonly culti- 
vated in England are the Broad-leaved Batavian and Small 
Batavian, the Green Curled-leaved and the White Curled- 
leaved. By the French, the former are called Scarioles ; 
the latter, Cichorees. A sowing may be made in the be- 
ginning of June, and another in July, the seeds being scat- 
tered very sparsely, that the plants may not come up iu 
clusters. The seedlings are transplanted into a rich soil, 
where they are arranged in rows twelve or fifteen inches 
asunder, and at the distance of ten inches in the row. 
Sometimes they are planted in drills to facilitate the opera- 
tion of blanching. The later crop should be placed iu a 



SUCCORY. 



2l5 



sheltered situation, where it may be able to withstand the 
winter, which it will do, unless the frost prove very intense. 
When the plants have reached their maturity, the leaves 
are gathered up, and tied together an inch or two below 
the tips, and afterwards about the middle of the plant In 
two or three weeks they are found sufficiently blanched for 
use. In winter it is necessary to draw the earth quite up 
about the leaves. At that season, too, the plants may be 
inserted into a sloping bank of earth, or blanched in boxes 
in the mushroom-house or in a cellar 

Succory (Cichorium Intyhus) is in England an indige- 
nous perennial plant, the cultivation of which, for culinary 
purposes, may be said to have been introduced into Britain 
by the refugees during the French revolutionary war. By 
the French it is much esteemed as a winter salad, and be- 
ing often asked for by foreign cooks, a small portion should 
be raised in every large garden establishment. When 
blanched, it is known by the name of Barbe du Capuckin. 
When succory is cultivated in the garden for winter use, 
the seed is sown in May or June, commonly in drills, and 
the plants are thinned out to four inches apart. If the 
first set of leaves grow very strong, owing to wet weather, 
they are cut off perhaps in the middle of August, about an 
inch from the ground, so as to promote the production of 
new leaves, and check the formation of flower-stems. 
About the beginning of October the plants are raised from 
the border ; all the large leaves are cut off; the roots are 
also shortened. They are then planted pretty closely together 
in boxes filled with rich light mould, and watered when 
needful. When frost comes on, the boxes are protected by 
any kind of haulm. As the salad is wanted, they are 
removed into some place having a moderately increased 



216 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

temperature, but with little light, such as a mushroom- 
house or cellar off the kitchen. Each box affords two crops 
of blanched leaves, and these are reckoned fit for cutting 
when about six inches long. A neat mode of producing 
the harhe in any common dark cellar, from whence frost is 
excluded, is described in the Horticultural Tour^ p. 368. ^ 
The succory roots are packed among moist sand, in a bar- 
rel, in the sides of which numerous round holes have been 
pierced, each about an inch and a half in diameter. The 
crowns of the roots are so placed that the shoots may 
readily push their way through the openings ; they are thus 
kept quite clean, and are delicately blanched ; they can be 
very easily gathered as wanted, and repeated cuttings are 
afforded during winter and early spring. There is a Con- 
tinental variety of succory having larger roots than usual, 
and known by the name of Chiccoree a Cafe., the tuberous 
roots of which, dried, and cut into little pieces, were, dur- 
ing the great war, frequently employed as a substitute for 
coffee-beans, and in Flanders, and some parts of France, a 
portion of them is still very often mixed with coffee. 

Parsley {Apiwn Fetroselinum) is a biennial plant, of 
well-known use in cookery. It is said to be a native of 
Sardinia, but it now grows spontaneously in various parts 
of Britain. The varieties are, the Common, the Curled- 
leaved, and the Hamburg, the last of which is cultivated 
for the sake of its tuberous roots. The curled-leaved is the 
most ornamental, and it possesses the advantage of being 
readily distinguished from the poisonous ^thusa, which 
resembles the common parsley. Parsley prefers a light, 
rich soil. It is sown in drills about the beginning of March, 
and the seed lies some weeks in the ground before the 
plants appear. As they grow up they are thinned out, and 



CELERY. 217 

ttey are defended by branches or other coverings from 
hard weather in winter. The Hamburgh variety is sown 
about the same time in a well-trenched soil, in drills a foot 
apart, and it is thinned to about nine inches in the rows. 
In the beginning of November, the roots are taken up and 
stored in sand. 

Celery {Apium graveolens) is a native British biennial, 
an inhabitant of the sides of ditches near the sea. In its 
wild state, it is of an acrid nature, and of a coarse rank 
Savor ; but by cultivation it is improved into one of the 
most agreeable salads. There are two principal varieties ; 
celery^ properly so called, with upright stalks and fibrous 
or slightly tuberous roots ; and celeHac^ with large turnip- 
shaped shoots. Of the former, the principal subvarieties 
are, the Italian, the Ked Solid, and the White Solid, of 
which the second and third are the best. 

In England, celery is usually sown at three different 
times: on a hotbed in the beginning of March, and in the 
open ground in March, and again in April. The seedlings, 
when about two inches high, are pricked into rich soil, in 
v/hich they are allowed to stand till they be four or five 
inches high. The first crop is defended by frames or hand- 
glasses, and is planted wide, to admit of being lifted with 
balls of earth adhering to the roots. Towards the end of 
May, trenches for blanching the celery are prepared. These 
trenches are three and a half or four feet apart, fifteen 
inches wide at the bottom, and about a foot below the nat- 
ural level of the surface. The soil at the bottom of the 
trench is carefully digged and manured, and a single row 
of plants is placed in each trench. Sometimes, when a large 
supply is required, the trenches are made six feet wide, and, 

after a similar preparation, rows fifteen or eighteen inches 

10 



218 KITCHEN GARDEN, 

apart are planted across the trenches. As the plants ad- 
vance in growth, earth is laid up about the stalks of the 
leaves, an operation which is repeated at the end of every 
ten or fifteen days, care being taken not to choke the plants. 
As the celery approaches maturity, scarcely anything but 
the tips of the leaves appear above the ridges, and, when 
lifted, the stalks are found to be completely blanched. Sue- 
cessional crops should then be planted out. Celery suc- 
ceeds best in a rich, light soil, having an abundance of 
moisture. 

In the United States, the Red Solid ^ or Manchester Red 
variety of celery is found to resist the frost better than the 
Wfiite Solid, which last is, however, the most crisp and 
delicately flavored. Coles' Superb Red and Seymour's 
White are the best new varieties. 

Celeriac, or turnip-rooted celery (Celeri-rave of the 
French), is treated at first like the early crop of common 
celery. In the beginning or middle of June it is planted 
out in a flat bed, in drills fifteen inches apart. A single 
earthing afterwards suffices. Its large, round roots are 
used in soups, and are much relished by some. It is, how- 
ever, more attended to in France and the Low Countries 
than in Britain. There is a curly-leaved variety, which 
seems to possess no advantage but its more ornamental 
foliage. 

Garden Cress (Lepidium ativum), of which the Nor- 
mandy curled cress is the best variety, and White Mus- 
TAR.D [Sinapis alba), are generally associated in their use 
as salads, and in their culture in the garden. They are 
annual plants, and are eaten only when very young. In 
winter, they may be raised on a slight hot-bed \ in spring, 



WATER CRESS. 219 

under hand-glasses, or in drills near a south wall, and in 
summer, when they should be sown once a fortnight, in 
drills, in any cool, shady situation. Table mustard, which 
is made from the seeds of Sinapis nigra^ Lin., belongs 
rather to the department of agriculture. Durham mustard, 
which is distinguished for its poignancy, though not re- 
markable for fine color, is said to be made principally from 
the seeds of the common yellow field-mustard or charlock, 
Sinapsis arvensis, Lin. 

Water Cress [Sisymbrium nasturtium).— This is a 
creeping perennial aquatic plant, very extensively supplied 
in the English markets. It requires for its proper growth 
a clear stream of shallow water, not more than an inch and 
a half in depth, running over clear sand and gravel. Deep 
and still water, especially if the bottom be muddy, is un- 
favorable. The best situations are in streams near their 
sources, where the water seldom freezes in winter, as here 
they continue to grow and may be gathered all winter. 
In planting, the sets are put in rows about eighteen inches 
apart, and lengthwise with the stream. If the depth of 
water be at first only about an inch, as soon as they begin 
to grow they will so obstruct its course as soon to increase 
it to three or four inches above the leaves, a depth regard- 
ed as highly favorable to the growth of the cresses. It is 
absolutely requisite that the water shall be always run- 
ning, for when the stream becomes obstructed the plants 
cease to thrive. After they are cut three times they be- 
gin to stock, and then the oftener they are cut the better. 
The cress is regarded as a very wholesome raw salad vege- 
table, eaten at all seasons, but more especially in winter 
and spring, when its warm and cordial qualities make it 
particularly grateful. ^t is frequently found growing 



220 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

spontaneously in streams, and beds should be established 
wherever there is a good spring of running water. A little 
spot of low ground, capable of being irrigated, can be turn- 
ed up with the spade in the spring, and sown with seed, or 
set out with plants. The water may be turned on and off 
at pleasure, and all the further culture consists in keeping 
them clear of every kind of weed, and preventing their be- 
ing injured or destroyed by drought. 

It may be here observed that the wild Pepper Grass 
[Lepidiujnvirginiciim)^ which grows spontaneously almost 
everywhere in the United States, is a species of cress. 
See Farmers^ and Planters' Encyclopcedia, article Ameri- 
can Cress. 

Of Rhubarb [RJieum), several species and many varie- 
ties are cultivated for the purpose of supplying materials 
for tarts, the foot-stalks of the leaves being well adapted 
for that purpose, and coming into use at a most convenient 
season, when apples are becoming scarce. R. rhajjonticum 
with red stalks, and palmatwui with green, were the spe- 
cies first employed, and these are still occasionally used ; 
but the sorts now preferred are seminal varieties, mostly 
allied to R. hybridum and R. undulatum. The follow- 
iug are worthy of notice : — 

Wilmot's, Buck's 

Gigantic, Culbertson's, 

Elford. 

Of these, the editor of the Horticultural Register prefers 
the first two, the former as being excellently suited for 
forcing, and the latter as growing to a large size without 
rankuess. The stalks of Buck's Early and the Elford are 
of a bright scarlet color, which they retain even when 



RHUBARB. 221 

forced in the dark ; and they are at the same time tender 
and of delicate flavor. Excellent jam and jelly have been 
made from these by Mr. James M'Nab, of the Horticul- 
tural Society's G-arden, Edinburgh. Of late, two new va- 
rieties have eclipsed all former kinds, viz., Myatt's Vic- 
toria and Youell's Tobolsk. Both yield stalks of great 
size, and which yet fall well when boiled or baked. A 
very useful variety is known at Edinburgh by the name of 
Culbertson's Rhubarb. It is less apt to shoot into flower 
than most other sorts ; and, although the leaf-stalks are 
small, they are very numerous. The rhubarbs may be 
multiplied by dividing the roots ; and this is the common 
practice ; but they thrive much better when grown from 
seed. Mr. Paxton recommends sowing on a slight hotbed 
in spring, and transplanting out in rows in the month of 
May. Formerly no stalks were gathered from the seedling 
plants for the first two years ; but Myatt's Victoria grows 
so rapidly as to permit cutting even in the first season. A 
rich but porous soil suits the plant best. Where liquid 
manure can be applied to a light soil, the leaves attain a 
very large size. A portion of the crop is allowed to come 
on under the general influence of the season ; but much 
also is forced, which may be done in a variety of ways. 
Some treat rhubarb like sea-kale, covering the roots allow- 
ed to remain in the ground with large pots or boxes, and 
surrounding them with fermenting stable-litter. Others 
take up the roots in autumn, pot them, and force them in 
vineries or hotbeds. Perhaps the best method is to pro- 
cure long narrow boxes, of a moderate depth, and to place 
them, packed full of roots, in a mushroom-house or cellar, 
where there is considerable temperature. The rhubarb 
soon throws up its stalks ; and these, being partially etio- 
lated, possess a delicacy and flavor superior to those grown 



222 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

in the open air. It is easy, by varing the time of subject- 
ing the boxes to the increased temperature, to keep up a 
succession of rhubarb stalks, from the period at which 
kitchen apples become scarce or begin to lose their flavor 
till green gooseberries come into season. 

Melons. 

Under this common name are embraced both the Water- 
melon and the Musk-melon, or Cantaloupe, although so es- 
sentially difierent in botanical characters as to belong to 
different families. 

Water-melon ( Cucurbita Citrullus). — This refreshing 
tropical fruit perfects itself in the open air in almost every 
portion of the Middle and Southern States, especially in 
the latter. It requires a light sandy soil and plenty of 
heat, and will not succeed in tenacious soils or cool situa- 
tions. It is planted in hills, which, owing to the great 
distance to which the runners extend, ought to be eight 
feet apart. The seed are best when two years old, and one 
ounce will be sufficient to plant from forty to fifty hills. 
When wanted of very large size, but three or four melons 
should be left to each vine. By such thinning they may, 
in good seasons and situations, be brought to weigh twenty- 
five and thirty pounds each. There are many varieties 
known in the Philadelphia and New York markets, such 
as the Carolina, Spanish, Long Green, Mountain Sweet, 
White Imperial, etc. These have all red pulp, and the 
last-named is much superior to the others. There are other 
varieties with yellow or light-colored pulp. 

Cantaloupe. — These come to great perfection in the 
open air throughout the Southern and Middle States, where- 



CANTALOUPE. 223 

ever tlie soil is favorable. The light sandy alluvials of 
New Jersey are very favorable to their growth. There 
are many varieties, no less than fourteen of which, the best 
known in England, will be found enumerated under the 
head of Melon^ in the portion of this treatise relating to 
■the opera^ticns of the forcing garden. 

The old-fashioned Musk-melon, with its smooth and 
yellow rind, slightly ribbed, although once very extensive- 
ly cultivated, has given place to the better-flavored Nut- 
sncg^ Cantalouj^e, and 'Rock-melon, with rough rind and 
greener and firmer flesh, and the Netted Citron. This 
last, which derives its name from the raised net-like appear- 
ance on its outer surface, is of an oval form. When well 
grown, specimens will often weigh from two to five pounds. 
The flesh is of a greenish color, firm, yet juicy, and high- 
flavored. When in its greatest purity and perfection, it is 
considered the best melon of its kind. 

The seed of the Cantaloupe are usually planted about 
the first of May, when the spring frosts are no longer to be 
apprehended, in hills or beds, about six feet apart each 
way. In preparing the hills, the most approved way is to 
dig out the earth about a foot deep and two wide, and fill 
up the holes thus made with a compost consisting of a mix- 
ture, in equal parts, of old well-rotted manure, sand, and 
good garden soil and street dirt, where this can be had. 
The hills may be heaped up about six inches above the 
-common level of the ground. Eight or ten seeds may be 
put into the middle of each hill, a few inches apart, and 
covered with about half an inch of loose earth. 

When the growth of the plants has sufficiently advanced, 
thin out so as to leave but three or four in each hill. The 
beds are to be kept well hoed and cleared of weeds. For 
iho! purpose of strengthening the vines, gardeners recom- 



224 KIT'CHEN GARDEN, 

mend what they call " topping," which consists of pinching 
off the end of each plant when it has made four or five 
rough leaves. This makes them branch out and bring 
their fruit earlier. After the runners are spread out, no 
farther culture should be given. Particular care should 
be observed to keep these melons separated from cucum- 
bers, gourds, and plants of a similar family, as otherwise 
great deterioration will result. 

Pumpkin {Cucurbita Pepo). — Many varieties of these 
are cultivated in America, such as the Mammoth or Span- 
ish, Connecticut Field^ White Bell^ &c. The larger sorts^ 
some of which have been found to weigh two hundred and 
fifty pounds, are only fit to feed pigs and cattle. Pumpkin 
seed ai'^e generally planted in May and June, in the corn- 
fields, the hills being raised between the corn-rows, and 
made from eight to ten feet apart. The culture resembles 
that of the Cantaloupe, and they are not by any means so 
particular in their choice of soils as melons. The Casham 
Pumpkin is a variety resembling the Winter Squash, and 
is the best variety for table use and making into pies and 
puddings. 

Squash (Cucurbita Melopepo). — In the United States 
this vegetable is of universal use, and generally ready for 
the table in June^ continuing to be eaten through July and 
August. There are two varieties most commonly culti- 
vated. The Patty. Pan, or Earh/ Bush, is preferred for 
early crops, It is of a yellowish-white color, flattened 
shape, and, though dwarfish in growth, is very productive. 
The Large Chxen, or Green-Striped Squash, has a long 
crooked neck, with a few whitish stripes. It does not 
come so early,' but, on good ground^ is very luxuriant and 
productive. 



VEGETABLE MARROW CUCUMBER. 225 

The seed are usually planted so as to produce a succes- 
sion of crops in May, June, and July. They are deposited 
in hills about four feet apart, and made like those for 
cucumbers and cantaloupes, the management being very 
similar. They are fit for use when not larger than the 
fist, and cease to be eaten when the skin becomes too hard 
to be penetrated by the finger-nail. 

The Winter Squash, Valparaiso Squash, with some 
other varieties of a similar kind, difi"er very materially 
from the Summer Squash, and bear more resemblance to 
the pumpkin family in size, shape, color of the meat, and 
flavor. 

Vegetable Marrow {Cucurbita Ovifera.) — This is a 
species of the gourd family, and bears a resemblance to 
both the pumpkin and squash. The fruit is oval, and the 
inside very fleshy and of a rich yellow color. When cooked, 
it is agreeable and nutritious. The culture is conducted 
similar to that of the pumpkin and squash. It should not 
be confounded with another member of the gourd tribe, 
sometimes called by the same name, and which grows 
several feet in length, being slender and curved. 

Cucumber ( Cilcumis Satinus).—The cultivation of this 
vegetable in the United States is conducted so nearly like 
that of the cantaloupe, that we only refer to what we have 
just said in relation to the best mode of raising those 
melons as almost equally applicable to that of the cucum- 
ber. But the cucumber will thrive and prove highly pro- 
ductive almost everywhere, whilst the cantaloupe often 
fails in places in which it does not find the proper kind of 
light and sandy soil conjoined with sufficient heat. In the 
Middle States, the seed may be planted any time in May. 

10* 



226 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

Immediately after coming up, the plants of both the 
cucumber and cantaloupe are liable to be attacked by a 
very little black bug. The ravages of this have sometimes 
been checked by sprinkling or sifting over the plants some 
ashes or soot, either alone or mixed together. This should 
be done in the morning whilst the leaves are still moist 
with dew. When three rough leaves have been made, the 
ends of the shoots should be pinched off, so as to make 
them branch out and fruit sooner. For the varieties of the 
cucumber best known in England, we refer to the part of 
this treatise which treats of the operations of the forcing 
garden. 

Egg Plant {Solanum Melongena.) — There are two 
varieties of this plant commonly cultivated in the United 
States, one of which is a large, oval-shaped, purple-colored 
fruit, often weighing many pounds, and used for cooking ; 
the other variety, being white and much smaller, though 
good when eaten, is generally raised for ornament. In the 
Middle and Northern States, the seeds of this plant are 
sown about the first of March in hotbeds, the sashes of 
which should be kept down close until the plants come up, 
when they may be slightly raised, so as to admit a little 
air, in the middle of the day. The seeds require consid- 
erable warmth to make them vegetate, which warmth must 
be kept up to bring the plants forward. They will not 
bear the least cold when very young, and ought, therefore, 
to have a division to themselves, free from association with 
cabbage-plants and other vegetables which are generally 
benefitted by more or less exposure to the atmosphere dur- 
ing a portion of the day. 

The young plants may be taken from their beds about 
the middle of May, if the weather be warm and settled, 



OKRA TOMATO. 227 

and set out in hills from two feet to two and a half feet 
apart, in a rich, warm soil, kept clean, and when about a 
foot high, slightly hilled by drawing some earth around them. 
The plants of the white variety are generally transplanted 
into pots. 

Okra (Hibiscus Esculentis). — This West India plant 
is much cultivated in the Southern and some of the Mid- 
dle States, chiefly as an addition to soup. Its long and 
green pods, full of seed and abounding in mucus, form the 
chief ingredient in the famous gumbo-soup of the South, 
and hence the plant is often called Grumbo. The beauty of 
its flowers, which much resemble those of the cotton-plant, 
to which family it belongs, makes it an ornament to the 
|)arterre. 

The seed may be sown in drills about two feet apart, and 
lightly covered, as soon as there is no danger from spring 
frosts ; namely, in the Middle States, about the first of May. 
The plants are to be thinned out so as to be about three 
inches apart, and hoed frequently, a little earth being oc- 
casionally drawn to the stems. On dry, warm, and good 
soil the plants will attain the height of four or five feet. 
The pods are only used when in a green state and filled 
with mucilage. A new variety, called Dwarf Okra, is con- 
sidered an acquisition. 

Tomato (Solanum Lycopersicum). — The tomato, or love- 
apple, has become an article of immense consumption in 
the Southern and Middle States, and in the neighborhood 
of Philadelphia is an object of extensive field culture. 
Two species are in common cultivation, the Red-fruited 
and the Yellow-fruited. Each of these kinds is divided 
into several varieties. The reds, which are regarded as the 



228 KITCHEN t^AKDEN. 

best, are distinguished into — 1. The Common Large; 
2. Small ; 3. Pear-shaped ; 4. (Jhcrry-shaped. Of the 
yellow there are the Large Yellow, and the Small or the 
Cherry-yellow. The cherry kinds of both colors are gene- 
rally used for pickling, whilst the larger sorts are eaten in 
various ways, or added to soups. 

A rich light mould is best adapted to the culture of the 
tomato. Those intended for early use must be started in 
hotbeds in the month of March. The seeds should be sown 
thinly and covered lightly. They come up quickly and grow 
rapidly, and require airing when the weather is mild. 
When crowded in the first bed, many of the plants may be 
transplanted into other beds under glass, and placed three 
or four inches apart. The planting out in the open air 
may take place about the first of May, when the young 
plants may be put about three feet apart in the most shel- 
tered spots, where they will have they full benefit of the sun. 
As they grow up they must have the earth drawn about 
their stems, and when a foot high, branches or other means 
of support must be provided for the vines to run or hang 
upon. As soon as they have set their fruit, the earliest 
plants should have a few inches of their tops pinched ofi^, 
whicli will make them ripen their fruit sooner. 

In England, the following annual plants are occasionally 
used in cookery, or as salads : Chervil^ Chaerophyllum sa- 
tivum ; Purslane^ Portulaca oleracea ; Lambs^ Lettuce, 
Fedia olitoria ; Indian Cress, Troprcolum majus ; Mari- 
gold, Calendula officinalis ; Borage, Borago officinalis. 
These may be sown in spring, or in the beginning of sum- 
mer, in any fresh light soils. In general, a small quantity 
will suffice. 

The Common Sorrel, Rumex acetosa ; the French Sor- 



SORREL. 229 

re/, Rumex scutatus; and the Horse-radish^ Armoracia 
rusticana, are perennials, and are increased by parting their 
roots. They thrive in any cool, ehady situation. 

Sorrel {Rumex acetosa). — This is the common sorrel 
indigenous in England, growing everywhere, like its close 
kindred sheep sorrel {Rumex acetocella)^ in the United 
States. The garden or cultivated sorrel is much used by 
the French, both in soups and boiled, and eaten like spin- 
ach. They regard it as possessed of healthy properties, 
adapted to some constitutions and ailments. 

The Capsicum or Chilly^ Capsicum annuum, and he 
Love-Apple^ Solanum Lycopersicum, are tender annuals 
from tropical climates. Both, in England, are sown in hot- 
beds in spring, and after being transplanted and nursed in 
separate pots, are planted out, the former in a warm border, 
and the latter against a wall. In Scotland, the Capsicum 
will scarcely mature its fruit without the aid of glass. 

Vill^ Anethura graveolens and Angelica^ Angelica arch- 
an^relica, arc umbelliferous biennials, which have been for a 
lonf' period, though not extensively, cultivated in English gar- 
dens. They are easily raised from seed. With these maybe 
associated the beautiful native perennial -F'mneZ(Foeniculum 
vulfrare), the buds and leaves of which are used in salads 
and sauces. It may be propagated either by parting the 
roots, or by seeds, which should be sown in autumn, soon 
after they are ripe. Finochio, or Florence Fennel, is an 
improved variety, with more succulent stems ; but its cul- 
tivation seems rather neglected in England. The seed of 
Finochio may be sown in the end of March, on a warm 
border, or better, perhaps, in a frame, in the manner of cel- 
ery. The young plants may be pricked out into a sheltered 
quarter, at six inches apart in every direction. When the 



230 KITCHEN GARDEN. 

outer leaves covering the stems are pulled off, the stems 
have a whitish appearance, giving the aspect of blanching. 
If the weather prove dry, watering is useful, the object be- 
ing to render the stems as thick and succulent as possible. 
In Lombardj, these stems are much used. Cut into thin 
slices, they form a favorite garnish for ragouts of fowl or veal ; 
slightly boiled or stewed, and cut small, a desirable ingre- 
dient for giving jflavor to gravy soups ; and, along with 
grated parmesau, an excellent maccaroni. 

Burnet or Pi'inpernell is a hardy perennial plant, the 
young leaves of which are used in salads, and by the 
French added to soups, to which it communicates a warm 
and grateful taste. The seed may be sown in early spring, 
and a few plants will suffice for a family. Plants may be 
multiplied by parting the roots. 

In every garden, there is a small department set apart 
for the culture of Sweet Herbs and Medicinal Plants. We 
need not here enter into details respecting their uses or 
culture, but shall merely give classified lists. 

Shrubby Plants increased by parting the roots, or by 
cuttings : Thyme, Thymus vulgaris ; Sage, Salvia officina- 
lis ; Winter Savory, Satureja montana ; Rosemary, Ros- 
marinus officinalis ; Lavender, Lavandula Spica ; Hyssop^ 
Hyssopus officinalis ; and Rue, Ruta graveolens. 

Perennial Herbaceous Plants, increased by parting the 
roots : Spearmint, Mentha viridis ; Peppermint, M. pi- 
perita ; Pennyroyal, M. pulegium ; Balm, Melissa offici- 
nalis ; Tarragon, Artemisia Dracunculus ; Tansy, Tana- 
cetum vulgare ; ^^/r^'ze^, Poterium Sanguisorba; Costmary^ 
Balsamita vulgaris ; Chamomile, Anthemis nobilis. 

Biennial or Annual Plants, increased by sowing the 
seeds : Clary, Salvia Sclarea ; Coriander, Coriandrum 
sativum ; Caraway, Carum Carui ; Sweet Marjoram, 



FLOWER GARDEN. 231 

Origanum majorana ; Summer Savory, Satureja hortensis ; 
Sweet Basil, Ocimum basilicum ; and Bush Basil, 0. 
minimum. These last, the basils, which are natives of the 
East, and in much request for their delicate flavor, are 
raised osi hotbeds in spring, and transplanted with balls 
into some warm situation. In Scotland, they are mostly 
treated as tender annuals, and are grown under glazed 
frames, in flower-pots. 

It may here be noticed that the young green leaves of 
Prnnus Laurocerasus (under the name of laurel) may pro- 
perly enough be employed in garnishing ; but they ought 
never to be used, as they too often are, for giving a nutty 
flavor, or for greeniyig other articles ; the hydrocyanic or 
prussic acid given out being very apt to prove injurious, 
even in small quantities. 



THE FLOWER GARDEN. 

The cultivation of flowers, if not the most useful, is at 
least one of the most pleasing, occupations of the horticul- 
turist, and has generally shared largely in his attention. 
It is probable that, at first, flowers, as objects of curiosity, 
were confined to a few beds or borders in the garden, as is 
still the case in many old places ; but in the progress of 
the art, and the diffusion of taste, separate departments 
were allotted to them, under the name of Flower G-ardens. 
After some general remarks on the style and situation, we 
shall treat of the component parts of flower gardens, their 
various decorations, and of floriculture. 

The designing of flower gardens unquestionably belongs 
to the fine arts, involving in it the exercise of invention, 
taste, and foresight. Its principles are more vague and 



232 FLOWER GARDEN. 

evanescent than those of any of the sister arts. The hand 
of the designer is not here guided by the imitation of Na- 
ture, for his work is wholly artitieial in its arrangements 
and appliances , neither does utility come in, as in archi- 
tecture, to supply a form and frame-work, which it is the 
artist's part to adorn. " As flower gardens," says Mr. Lou- 
don, the best authority on this topic, *' are objects of plea- 
sure, the principle which must serve as a guide in laying 
them out must be taste. Now, in flower gardens, as la 
other objects, there are different kinds of tastes ; these em- 
bodied are called styles or characters ; and the great art of 
the designer is, having fixed on a style, to follow it out un- 
mixed with other styles, or with any deviation which would 
interfere with the kind of taste or impression which that 
style is calculated to produce. Style, therefore, is the lead- 
ing principle in laying out flower gardens, as utility is in 
laying out the culinary garden. As objects of fancy and 
taste, the styles of flower gardens are various. The modern 
style is a collection of irregular groups and masses, placed 
about the house as a medium, uniting it with the open 
lawn. The ancient geomatric style, in place of irregular 
groups, employed symmetrical forms; in France, adding 
statues and fountains ; in Holland, cut trees and grassy 
slopes ; and in Italy, stone walls, walled terraces, and 
flights of steps. In some situations, these characteristics 
of parterres may with propriety be added to or used instead 
of the modern sort, especially in flat situations, such as are 
enclosed by high walls, in towns, or where the principal 
building or object is in a style of architecture which will 
not render these appendages incongruous. There are other 
characters of gardens, such as the Chinese, which are not 
widely different from the modern ; the Indian, which con- 
sists chiefly of walks under shade, in squares of grass ; the 



FLOWER GARDEN. 233 

Turkish, which abounds in shady retreats, boudoirs of roses 
and aromatic lierbs; and the Si)ani.sh, whicli is distinguished 
by trellis-work and fountains ; but tlicse gardens are not 
generally adapted to this climate, though, from contem- 
plating and selecting what is beautiful or suitable in each, 
a style of decoration for the immediate vicinity of mansions 
might be composed preferable to anything now in use." It 
may, however, be remarked, that the flower garden, pro- 
perly so called, has generally been too much governed by 
the laws of landscape-gardening, and these often ill under- 
stood and misapplied. In the days of " clipped hedges 
and pleached alleys," the parterres and flower-beds were of 
a description the most grotesque and intricate imaginable. 
At a subsequent period, when the natural and the pictur- 
esque became the objects of imitation in the park, there 
appeared the most extravagant attempts at wildness in the 
garden. The result has been equally unfortunate. It is 
not meant that where there are merely a few patches of 
flowers, by way of foreground to the lawn, they should not 
be subordinated to the principles which regulate the more 
distant and bolder scenery ; but wherever there is a flower 
garden of considerable magnitude and in a separate situa- 
tion, wc think it should be constructed on principles of its 
own. In such a spot, the great object must be to exhibit 
to advantage the graceful forms and glorious hues of flow- 
ering plants and shrubs ; and it is but seldom that mere 
elegancies in the forms of compartments, and other tricke- 
ries of human invention, can bear any comparison with 
these natural beauties. To express the peculiar nature of 
garden scenery, as distinct from the picturesque in land- 
scape, Mr. Louden invented the term gardenesque ; and, 
whatever way be thought of the term itself, it is very de- 
sirable that the distinction should be preserved. 



234 FLOWER GARDEN. 

Two varieties of flower gardens have chiefly prevailed iu 
Britain ; one, in which the ground is turf, and the pattern, 
so to speak, is composed of a variety of ligures cut out of 
the turf, and planted with flowers and shrubs; and an- 
other, where the flower-beds are separated by gravel-walks, 
without being interspersed with grass at all. The choice 
of one or other of these varieties ought greatly to depend 
upon the situation. When the flower garden is to be seen 
from the windows, or any other elevated point of view, 
from which the whole or the greater part of the design may 
be perceived at once, perhaps the former should be prefer- 
red. Where the surface is irregular, and the situation 
more remote, and especially where the beauty of flowers is 
the chief object of contemplation, the choice should proba- 
bly fall on the latter. This variety, too, seems preferable, 
on the principle of contrast, where there are large lawns in 
the outer grounds, in order that kept (or smoothly-mown) 
grass may not be found everywhere. 

Respecting the situation of the flower garden, no very 
precise directions can be given, as it must be influenced by 
the size of the domain, the nature of the lawns, and the 
site of the mansion to which it is attached. Generally 
speaking, it should not be at any great distance from the 
house ; and in places where there is no distant view of im- 
portance, it may be constructed under the windows. In 
retired scenes, it is delightful to step out of the drawing- 
room into compartments of flowers, in the vicinity of a green- 
house or conservatory. On the other hand, when the park 
is spacious, and the prospects extensive and picturesque, 
it is perhaps better that the flower garden should be at 
some distance, but not more than a quarter of a mile, out 
of sight of the house, and with an easy access in any sort 
of weather — an arrangement which would give an agreeable 



/^ 



FLOWER GARDEN. 235 

termination to a Bhort walk, a desirable matter in most 
cases ; for it has often been remarked that many parts of 
extensive grounds remain unvisited because they afford no 
remarkable object to attract attention. 

. The particular form of a flower garden is equally be- 
yond the inculcation of specific rules. Indeed, it may be 
of any shape, and, except where the dimensions are ex- 
tremely limited, the boundaries should not be continuously 
visible. The taste of the proprietor or designer, and the 
capabilities of the situation, must determine not only the 
external configuration, but also the arrangement of the in- 
terior parts. By judicious management, it may be made 
to pass through shrubbery, gradually assuming a more 
woodland character, and groups of trees, into the park on 
the one hand, and into the kitchen garden or orchard on 
the other. In most cases, even where it is in the vicinity 
of the mansion house, the flower garden should be encir- 
cled with some sort of fence, in order to convey the idea 
of protection, as well as to furnish security to the vegetable 
inmates of the parterres, it being impossible to carry on 
floriculture to any great extent in open places which are 
accessible to hares and rabbits, or any other kind of in- 
truders. In detached localities, the fences may be made 
sufficiently strong to preclude the intrusion of every species 
of vagrant ; and these fences it is not difficult to mask with, 
shrubs and trees. A north wall of moderate extent and 
moderate elevation is often desirable, as affording space for 
ornamental climbers and half-acclimatized exotics, and as 
forming a j)^'^^ <^' cippy^i for the conservatory and other 
botanical structures. Such a wall may be surmounted 
with urns and other architectural ornaments, and screened 
at some little distance behind by trees. The other fences 
may be of wire- work, generally called invisible^ or of 
wood<^" '"^''" •• "' '' ' "' -'^h rails. 



236 FLOWER GARDEN. 

Formerly the flower-beds were made either circular, 
straight, or in curves, and were turned into knots, scrolls, 
volutes, and other compartments ; and this taste prevailed, 
perhaps, in some measure from a desire on the part of the 
contrivers, to compensate by their ingenuity for the pau- 
city of the ornamental plants which were then cultivated. 
Now that the riches of Flora have poured into our gardens, 
a simpler taste has obtained. Of the figures in fashion at 
present in the lawn flower garden, perhaps the kidney- 
shape and its varieties occur too frequently. It is need- 
less, as well as impossible, to specify the numerous con- 
figurations of flower-pots, for they abound in kaleidoscopi- 
cal variety. Good taste will suggest that those only should 
be associated which harmonize well together; and it is 
better to incur the hazard of an apparent monotony than 
to excite wonder by incongruous combinations. When 
figures are separated by turf, it is proper that the little 
lawns or glades should have a considerable degree of 
breadth, for nothing has a worse efi"ect than overcrowding. 
A multitude of little figures should also be. avoided; for 
they produce what Mr. Gilpin calls spottiness^ which, as 
he has correctly pointed out, is a grievous deformity. In 
this sort of flower garden it is desirable that a gravel-walk 
should skirt along at least one side of the principal figures ; 
in our humid climate the grass would otherwise render 
them inaccessible with comfort during a great part of the 
year. In those gardens from which turf is excluded, the 
compartments should be of a larger and more massive 
character. 

Narrow borders, bounded by parallel straight lines and 
concentric curves, should be avoided. The centres of the 
figures should be occupied with tall-growing shrubs, and 
even with an occasional low evergreen tree, such as a yew 



ROCK-WORK. 237 

or a holly. The walks, arranged in long concave curves, 
may communicate here and there with one another. A 
dial, a few seats and arbors, with an urn or two, or a vase, 
may be introduced with good effect. It is to be regretted 
that so few good specimens of this species of flower garden 
have hitherto been executed in Britain. 

Amongst the accompaniments of the flower garden may 
be mentioned the Rock-work. This consists of variously 
grouped masses of large stones, generally such as are re- 
markable for being figured by water-wearing, or for con- 
taining petrifactions or impressions ; and into the cavities 
between the stones, filled with earth, alpine or trailing 
plants are inserted. These are numerous, and may be end- 
lessly diversified. Several species of Helianthemum, Gen- 
tiana, Pentstemon,and Primula; Campanula pumila, blue 
and white varieties, carpatica, and nitida; Saponaria 
ocymoides, and Adonis vernalis may be recommended. 

Alpine or Rock Plants. — Soldanella alpina, Clusii, and 
minima. Silene acaulis, maritima plena. Sempervivum 
arachnoideum, grandiflorum, and even the common house- 
leek or fouet of Scotland, S. tectorum. Dwarf crimson- 
flowered Raspberry, Rubus arcticus. Dracocephalum 
grandiflorum. Potentilla tritentata. Phlox subulata, 
setacea, virginica, and stolonifera. Oxytropis uralensis. 
Lychnis alpina. Linaria alpina. Liatris pilosa and 
spicata. Hippocrepis comosa. Epimedium alpinum. 
Aubrietia deltoidea. Dryas octopetala and Drummondii. 
Cardamine bellidifolia. Aster alpinus. Anemone pal- 
mata, and Pulsatilla or pasqueflower. No plants produce 
a finer effect than the diff"erent varieties of the common 
rock-rose, Helianthemum vulgare, double-flowered, pale, 
yellow, and dark orange-colored. JEthionema membrana- 
ceum. Aletris farinosa. Iris tenax. Greranium Walli- 



238 FLOWER GARDEN. 

chianum. Gcntiana septemfida. Siversia triflora. As- 
tragalus alpinus. Eriiiiis alpiniis and hit^panicus. lla- 
monda pyrenaica. Sedum ternatum. Alyssum olyinpi- 
cum. Autenaria dioica and alpina. Dianthus alpinus 
and nitidus. 

In appropriate situations, a small piece of water may be 
introduced for the culture of aquatic plants.* One of the 
walks is sometimes arched over with wire-work, and cover- 
ed with ornamental climbing shrubs, afibrding a delightful 
promenade in the glowing days of summer. A separate 
compartment, generally of some regular figure, is set apart 
for roses, A moist or rather a shady border, with bog 
earth, is devoted to that class of shrubs, commonly, but 
not very accurately, designated " American plants." In 
extensive places, a separate " American Garden " is often 
formed in a locality which, if not damp, has at least the 
command of water, occupying generally some warm corner 
of the park. 

Some writers have advocated the formation of "Winter 
and Spring Gardens in separate localities ; but we are not 
aware that their ideas have ever been embodied to any 
great extent. It is proposed that in the winter garden 
should be assembled all the hardy evergreen shrubs and 
plants, together with the few flowers that bloom during 
the brumal months. The situation, it is recommended, 
should be well sheltered, and open only to the warm rays 
of the sun, which are peculiarly grateful in our cold sea- 

* For such a pond, it is sometimes found difficult to form a tlioroughly re- 
tentive bottom with clay, however well puddled. In places near the 
sea, an eftoctive puddle may be obtained by mixing two parts of shore sand 
with one part of quicklime, and forming a mortar of them with sea-water, to 
be spread over the bottom of the pond. This mode of puddling was devised 
by Mr. Robert Millie, and adopted with perfect success for a pond at his 
curious little rock-work garden at Pathhead, in Fife. 



SOIL. 239 

son. However attractive this scheme may be in theory, it 
seems doubtful whether it would be very successful in 
execution. Masses of evergreens have a sombre and mono- 
tonous effect, even in winter, unless occasionally broken 
and varied by deciduous trees. The contrast of their leaf- 
less neighbors relieves the in tenseness of their gloom, and 
sets off their brilliancy. Though a winter garden (the 
very name of which is chilling) is perhaps not very desira- 
ble by itself, the object sought to be attained should not 
be lost sight of in the formation of the park and the flower 
garden. We can easily suppose a particular section of the 
latter to contain a predominance of evergreens, and to pos- 
sess the principal characters of a Winter Garden, without 
the formality of its name and purpose. In the endless va- 
riety of situations, it is not difficult to imagine a sloping 
bank, for instance, facing the sun, with a long walk skirt- 
ing its base, the lower side of which might be adorned with 
a border or narrow parterre planted with arbutus and 
periwinkle, whilst the slope is covered with the higher 
evergreens, and the summit of the acclivity is crowned 
with groups of deciduous trees, interrupted by a few strag- 
gling firs, through which the wind, unfelt below, might 
sigh its melancholy music. Again, a site for the Spring 
Garden, which need not be of very great extent, may be 
found in the vicinity of the green-house or conservatory, 
with which it is naturally allied. 

Soil. — A variety of soils is required in the flower gar- 
den, to suit the very diff'erent kinds of plants that fall to be 
cultivated. To florists' flowers particular compounds are 
assigned, and these shall be mentioned when treating of 
the flowers themselves. American plants require a peaty 
earth, varying from boggy peat to almost pure sand. Al- 
luvial peat, that is, boggy earth which has been washed 



240 FLOWER GARDEN. 

away and incorporated with white sand, is to he preferred: 
peat, cut from its natural hed and only partially decom- 
posed, is of no value at all, or rather is positively prejudi- 
cial to plants. In collecting soil from the surface of a muir, 
it is proper to take no more than the upper turf or sod, 
with the peat adhering to it, and only from the driest 
parts of the muir, where particles of white sand abound, 
and where, besides the common heath, fescue-grasses occur. 
Where this kind of liiuir-soil cannot be procured, a good 
substitute is found in vegetable mould, that is, decayed 
leaves swept from lawns or woods, and allowed to lie iu 
heaps for a few years. For the general purpose of the flower 
garden, a light loamy soil is advantageous ; and, where the 
natural covering is thin, or requires making up, recourse 
should be had to the surface-earth of old pastures, which, 
especially when incumbent on trap-rocks, is found to be 
excellent. It is expedient to have a large mass of this 
material always in the compost yard. The turf and the 
surface-soil adhering to it should be laid up in a rough 
state, in which way it is continually ameliorating, by the 
decomposition of the vegetable matters, and the action of 
the air. 

Plants requiring a Peaty Soil. — Rhododendron Cau- 
casicum,ferrugineum, chamsecistus, Lapponicum, hirsutum, 
campanulatum, maximum, dahuricum, atrovirens, and sev- 
eral beautiful hybrids, such as the alto-clerense and Rus- 
sellianum, raised at Highclerc. Kalmia latifolia, glauca, 
angustifolia, nitida. Erica australis, arborea, mediterran- 
ea, ramulosa, scoparia, vagans, ciliaris. Ledum palustre 
and latifolium. Vaccinium myrtillus, the bilberry, and 
V. uliginosum, the blueberry of this country, and several 
North American species. Menziesia coerulea, Rhodora 



GARDEN WALKS 



241 



canadensis ; also numerous Azaleas, particularly the Ghent 
varieties. 

Garden Walks, — During the prevalence of the Dutch 
taste, grass walks were common in our gardens ; but, in 
consequence of the inconvenience arising from their frequent 
wetness in our humid climate, they have in a great mea- 
sure been discarded. Their disuse is perhaps to be regret- 
ted, as in some situations, particularly behind lengthened 
screens of trees, or in gardens from which grass has been in 
a great measure excluded, they form rather an agreeable 
variety. It is justly observed by Sir William Temple that 
<' two things peculiar to us, and which contribute much to 
the beauty and elegance of our gardens, are the gravel of 
our walks, and the fineness and almost perpetual greenness 
of our turf;" and therefore no trouble should be spared in 
securing excellence in these respects. In old times, grass 
walks were formed with much care. After the space which 
they were to occupy had been digged and leveled that it 
might subside equally, a thin layer of sand or poor earth 
was laid upon the surface, and over this a similar layer of 
p-ood soil. This arrangement was to prevent excessive 
Itlxuriance in the grass. In selecting the seed, all annual, 
wiry, and coarse sorts of grass should be avoided. Per- 
haps a mixture of Koughish Meadow-grass (Poa triviaiis), 
Sheep's Fescue-grass (Festuca duriuscula and Festuca ovi- 
na), and Crested Dogstaii grass (Cynosurus cristatus), is 
about the best that could be selected. Poa nemoralis is 
well adapted for shaded situations. The seeds of these 
species, accurately selected, are now sold in the principal 
seed-shops. White clover, although ornamental should, 
scarcely be admitted, as it tends to keep the grass in a 

damp state, 

11 



242 FLOWER GARDEN. 

Gravel walks, in this department, are formed precisely 
in the same manner as those in the kitchen garden. It 
iiiaj, however, be remarked, that numerous gravel walks, 
particularly when narrow, have a puny effect. All the 
principal lines should be broad enough to allow at least 
three persons to walk abreast ; the others may be narrow. 
r-Iuch of the neatness of walks depends upon the material 
of which they are made. Grravel from an inland pit is to 
bo preferred, though occasionally very excellent varieties 
arc found upon the sea-shore. The gravel of Kensington 
and Blackheath has attained considerable celebrity ; and 
is frequently employed in remote parts of the kingdom, the 
expense being lessened by its being conveyed to different 
seaports as ballast of ships. In summer, a gravel walk 
reouires hoeing and raking from time to time, to clear it 
from weeds and tufts of grass. After this operation, of 
even after a simple sweeping, it is rolled down with a hand- 
roller ; and this is repeated as often as the surface is ruffled. 
Nothing contributes more to the elegance and convenience 
of garden walks than frequent rolling. 

Edgings. — Walks are generally separated from the 
borders and parterres by some kind of dense bushy plant, 
plnnted closely in line. By far the best edging is afford^ 
by the Dwarf Dutch Box (Buxus sempervirens var). It 
is extremely neat, and, when annually clipped, will remain 
in good order for many years. It may be planted at any 
season, except when in full growth or in midwinter. Ex- 
cellent edgings are also formed by Sea Pink (Statice arm- 
eria) and Double Daisy (Bellis porentiis). Dwarf Gentian 
(Gentiana acaulis), London Pride (Saxifraga umbrosa), and 
the pretty native saxifrage, S. hypnoides, are likewise used. 
Indeed, any low-growing herbaceous plant, susceptible of 
minute division, is fitted for an edging. Among the great 



siiRUBSi 243 

variety occasionally employed for this purpose may bo 
mentioned the Pansy (Viola tricolor), the Dwarf Bell* 
flower (Campanula pumila), the Cowslip, Polyanthus, 
Auricula, Hepatica, Veronica fruticulosa, Calluna vulgaris 
fl. pleno. Erica carnea, and Strawberry plants, particularly 
the Bush Alpines. Edgings may also be formed of spars 
of wood, narrow pieces of sandstone flag, or even of slight 
bars of cast-iron. In shrubberies and large flower-plots^ 
verges of grass-turf, about a foot in breadth, make a very 
handsome border to walks. These should not be allowed 
to rise high above the gravel : an inch and a half may be 
assigned as the limit they should not exceed. The grass 
is kept short by repeated mowings, and the edges are de» 
fined by clipping with shears, or cutting with a paring-iron. 
Shrubs. — Much of the beauty of the pleasure garden 
depends upon the proper selection and disposition of orna- 
mental trees and shrubs; and it is to be regretted that this 
department of the art has often been greatly neglected. 
In many English gardens we still find only a few ever- 
greens, and a parcel of rugged deciduous species, intro- 
duced probably before the age of Miller. No wonder, 
therefore, that we sometimes hear complaints of the in- 
sipid appearance of the shrubbery. Nevertheless, shrubs 
are highly elegant in themselves, and they afford a most 
efficient means of diversifying garden scenery Of the 
many beautiful species now to be had in Britain, and 
aff"ording the jnaterials of exquisite decoration, we can 
mention only a few. For extensive lists and for much 
general information, we may once more refer to the work of 
the late Mr. Loudon, a new and improved edition of which 
has been published by his talented widow, well known in 
the literary world for her varied writings, and especially 
for her popular treatises on Botany and Floriculture. 



244 f'LOWER GARDEN. 

Of Evergreens, besides the Common Laurel (Prunus 
Laurocerasus) and the Portugal Laurel (P. Lusitanica), 
we have noticed the American Arborvita; (Thuja occiden- 
talis), as adapted to large masses of shrubs; and the 
Chinese iVrborvitjx) (T. orientalis), whose size and mode of 
growth fit it for smaller compartments. The diiferent 
varieties of Rhamnus Alaternus, and the species of Phil- 
lyrea and Juniperus, have long and deservedly been favorite 
evergreens. The Sweet Bay (Laurus nobilis), in favorable 
situations, rises into a handsome shrub or low tree, and 
may con-\'ey to the student of the classics an idea of the 
Delphic laurel. The Strawberry tree (Arbutus Unedo), a 
native of Ireland as well as of the south of Europe, will 
always find a place as one of the most elegant of plants, 
equally beautiful as regards foliage, flower, and fruit ; nor 
should its compatriot, the Irish Yew, ascending like the 
pillared cypress, be forgotten. The Cypress itself, though 
rather a denizen of the park, may be sparingly introduced. 
The Laurustinus (Viburnum Tinus), with blossoms ap- 
proaching the snow in whiteness, enlivens the winter season, 
when little else is in flower in the shrubbery. The Swedish 
and Irish Junipers deserve a place. Diff'erent species of 
Daphne will not be forgotten ; it may be sufficient to 
enumerate pontica, collina, Cneorum, and hybrida. Several 
species of Berberis deserve places ; in particular, B. aqui- 
folia, glumacea, dulcis, and repens, which are not only 
elegant but very hardy. For a long time, the seasons re- 
commended for the planting of evergreens were either the 
spring or the autumn ; but experience (as fully shown by 
Mr. William M'Nab in his Treatise on the subject) has 
proved that the winter is the safest and most appropriate 
period of the year. The fragrant jasmine (Jasminum 
officinale) ought not to be forgotten. It is admirably 



SHRUBS. 245 

adapted for covering a wall or a trellis, and if care be 
taken not to prune away too many of the young shoots, it 
will afford its blossoms abundantly. It may also, by cut- 
ting in, be trained up as a small standard shrub, or it may 
be trimmed to a single stem and head, potted, and placed 
in the green-house. As extremely low evergreens, we may 
mention Gualtheria procumbens and Shallon, Polygala 
Chamx'buxus, and Astragalus Tragacautha ; but these 
would probably be better placed among what are popularly 
called American plants Of the more tender evergreens, 
we should name the Andrachne (Arbutus Andrachne), a 
beautiful shrub, but liable to be injured by severe frosts; 
and the pittosporum Tobira of Japan, with glossy foliage 
and fragrant flowers. The Broad-leaved Myrtle (Myrtus 
Romana), in warm places, and with the aid of a covering 
in the depth of winter, may be made to clothe the wall 
with its brilliant verdtfre for eight months in the year, and 
with its white flowers for some weeks in the end of summer. 
Treated in the same way, the noble Magnolia grandiflora 
(particularly the Exmouth variety) will yield its large and 
fragrant blossoms. Ancuba Japonica and Buxus Balearica 
are handsome shrubs, of a somewhat stronger constitution; 
the former is very ornamental in dull shady places, where 
no other shrub will grow, and it withstands severe frost, 
which destroys laurustinus. The beautiful tribes of Cistus 
and Helianthemum, some of which are quite hardy, are well 
adapted for adorning sloping banks. 

Amongst the shrubs that require a peaty soil, or at least 
a damp and shady situation, the splendid genus Rhodo- 
dendron holds the principal place. Of the larger species 
may be mentioned R. Ponticum, Catawbiense, and Maxim- 
um, with their numerous hybrid varieties. In early spring, 
R. Dauricum and atrovirens expand their blossoms among 



246 FLOWER GARDEN. 

the first of flowering shrubs. Nor should we overlook 
puDCtatum, ferrugineura, and Chamaicistus, of humbler 
growth, but not inferior in beauty. With these the closely 
cognate genus of Azalea, with its multitudinous species and 
varieties, disputes the palm of elegance. The pale and 
drooping Andromedas are scarcely of inferior interest. 
The hardy Heaths, particularly Erica carnea, tetralix, 
and stricta, Menziezia polifolia and coerulea, and the Can- 
adian Rhodora, combine to bring up the rear of this de- 
partment of Flora's train. 

The deciduous flowering shrubs are too much neglected 
in many gardens. They are seldom well managed, either 
in point of arrangement or of pruning, for the production 
of picturesque effect. Very often they are huddled to- 
gether promiscuously, and grow up into the shape of huge 
sheaves of rushes. With judicious management, there are 
no finer objects in the vegetable kingdom than the common 
Lilac (Syringa vulgaris), or the hybrid Varin (S. Rathom- 
agensis), or even the old Gueldres-Rose (Viburnum Opu- 
lus), with "her silver globes, light as the foamy surf." 
Another species, the Crimped-leaved Grueldres-Rose (V. 
plicatum), produces flowers more abundantly, and is, there- 
fore, still more ornamental. Nor ought the Mock-orange 
(Philadelphus coronarius) to be neglected ; for, while the 
flowers are ornamental, their orange perfume is powerful. 

It would lead us into disproportioned detail to specify a 
tithe of those showy shrubs which should be dear to every 
floriculturist, Sufla^ce it to name Ribes sanguineum (of 
which a double-flowered variety and also a white variety 
have lately appeared). Daphne mezereum, Spartium of 
many species, Cystisus, Amygdalus, and Pyrus. TheRibes 
speciosum, or Fuchsia-flowered gooseberry, seems to re- 
quire the protection of a wall, but deserves it. The fine 



SHRUBS. 247 

suffruticose plant Pteoiiia Moutan requires a sheltered posi- 
tion in the shrubbery, where, in May and June, its flowers 
excel all others in magnificence. Two species of Garry a, 
from the higher parts of Mexico, have of late been added 
to our choice evergreen shrubs. G. elliptica flowers in 
winter, if the season be open, and succeeds well if trained 
against a south wall ^ its male catkins are long, and hang 
down very gracefully, so that the plant forms a fine accom- 
paniment to the Laurustinus. G. laurifoliais equally har- 
dy, and forms a handsome shrub. From the list published 
by Mrs. Loudon, any one might form such a collection as, 
when properly arranged, would produce all the variety and 
beauty expected from the shrubbery. 

There ar<i many fine climbling shrubs, such as the spe- 
cies of Clematis, particularly grandiflora and Sieboldtii, 
and of Lonicera or honeysuckle; the Passiflora coerulefi, 
with its curious and beautiful flowers ; and Aristolochia 
Sipho, remarkable for the size and elegance of its foliage. 
Others, though not precisely^ of this class, are much be- 
holden to the shelter of a wall, such as the Cercis siliquas- 
trum, or Judas-tree, and Edwardsia tctraptera and micro- 
phylla. Among those of recent introduction into England 
may be noticed Leycesteria formosa, Glycine Sinensis, 
Eccremocarpus seaber, and Solly a heterophylla. Some 
herbaceous creepers succeed admirablj'' when trained 
against a wall in the open garden ; particularly JIaurandia 
semperflorens and Barclayana, and Lophospermum scan- 
deds and erubescens. The numerous species or varieties 
of Fuchsia, when planted against the wall, or even in the 
open ground, and protected with an occasional covering in 
winter, convey to us a better idea of the riches of Chilian 
vegetation than when they are confined to the shelves of 
the green-house. Among the more ornamental hardy 



248 SLOWER GARDEN. 

varieties may be mentioned F. discolor and F. Riccartonia ; 
and particularly F. corymbiflora, perhaps the finest of all. 
Many roses are also well adapted for walls, such as the 
varieties of Noisette, Boursault, and the different species 
from China. 

A separate compartment, called the Rosary, is generally 
devoted to the cultivation of roses. It is often of an oval 
form, with concentric beds, and narrow intervening walks 
of grass or gravel, but it may assume any configuration 
which is suited to display this favorite plant. Of the thou- 
sand varieties of roses which exist in the English nurseries,, 
we pretend not to give any selection. It may, however, be 
remarked, that in planting the Rosary, care should be taken 
to classify the sorts according to the siz.es and afiinities, 
otherwise the- effect will be much impaired. The sorts are- 
generally classed as Damasks, Perpetuals, French Roses,. 
Chinese Roses, Scotch, Celestials, and Moss Roses. A 
variety of double-flowering Sweet Briers have been recently 
added to their number, uniting the beauty of the double 
rose and the fragrance of the brier. The climbing sorts 
may be advantageously introduced, being trained to pillar- 
like trellises. In the Royal Botanic Garden of Edinburgh 
they are trained to living posts, consisting of straight pop- 
lars, closely pollarded, so as to show only a few leaves at 
top. The Banksian Rose is one of the finest climbers, but 
has this peculiarity, that the flowers are produced only on 
shoots of one year's growth ; the pruning must therefore 
take place at midsummer, so as to allow time for the de- 
velopment of new shoots ; if done in the autumn there can 
be no roses nest season. In Scotland it is suited only for 
the conservatory. When the Rosary is extensive, it is ju- 
dicious to intersperse some of the most showy hollyhocks; 
for thus the beauty of the quarter is maintained in the later 



HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 249 

months of autumn, when the roses are chiefly past. Of late 
years, quantities of standard roses have been imported from 
the Continent. These are the finer sorts, budded on tall 
stalks of the wild species, such as R. villosa and canina. 
They are well adapted to stand singly on the little lawns 
in flower-gardens, or to break the uniformity of low flower 
borders. 

All shrubs nearly may be propagated by layers, some 
by budding or grafting, many by separating the roots. In 
planting out, shrubs may be arranged either singly or in 
masses ; the latter method is perhaps the most efficient in 
the production of efiect, but it should not be very servilely 
adhered to, as it is apt to produce monotony. Some kinds 
should never appear in masses ; the white Portugal broom, 
for instance, when so arranged, gives a limy tint to a gar- 
den. Perhaps it is better that groups should contain a 
predominance of one shrub, set ofi" by a few others of a 
contrasting figure or color, than that they should be en- 
tirely homogeneous. 



HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 

Common perennial flowers, whether strictly herbaceous 
or bulbous, afi"ord the principal materials for floral decora- 
tion. Botany supplies, as it were, the colors for the pic- 
ture, and gardening grinds and prepares them for use. 
The painting is continually varying, and new shades are 
arriving and departing in succession. The least considera- 
tion of the subject will suggest the rule, that in planting 
flowers they should be arranged according to their stature, 
otherwise many of the most beautiful would be lost among 

their taller compeers. The lowest plants should therefore 

]1* 



250 FLOWER GARDEN. 

stand next the margin of the border or parterre, and they 
should increase in heighth at they go back. To produce a 
full show, a profusion, just now amounting to crowding, is 
requisite. The flower-plots should present a regular bank 
of foliage and blossom, rising gradually from the front; 
but as this might convey an idea of too great precision, a 
few staring plants, on the same principle as those employ- 
ed in green-houses, should be thinly scattered over the 
surface. These may be shrubs, or any tall showy plants, 
such as Becconia cardata, Papaver bracteatum. Gladiolus 
Byzantinus, or Lilium candidum. 

Tall Perennials. — Lilium giganteum, superbum, chal- 
cedonicum. Asphodelus ramosus, or silver-rod. Phlox 
pyramidalis. Monarda didyma, kalmiana, ciliata. Ve- 
ronica sibirca, virginica. Campanula pyramidalis. Lych- 
nis chalcedonica, fl. pi. or double scarlet lychnis ; also, 
single white and double white. Fritillaria imperialis, or 
Crown imperial. Rudbeckia purpurea. Clematis integri- 
folia. Chelone barbata, scarlet, and also white, with Che- 
lone mexicaua, and C. antwerpiensis. Delphinium grandi- 
florum, fl. pi. or double larkspur. Aconitum Anthora, 
lycoctonum, Chinense. Astelbe rivularis. Aceta race- 
mosa. Asclepias incarnata. Aconitum versicolor. Del- 
phinium amythestinum. Silphium perfoliatum and con- 
junctum. 

Plants to be kept under glass during Winter^ and 
planted out in May. — Lychnis (Agrostemma), Bungeana, 
Pelargonium inquinans, cucullatum, and many hybrid va- 
rieties of great beauty. Verbena varieties. Alonosa ele- 
gans. Phlox Drummondii and bicolor. Lobelia formosa, 
propinqua. Nierembergia intermedia. Lantana Sello- 
viana, Gardoquia multiflora. Salvia patens. Malwa 
Crowena. Cineraria, different species. Veronica speciosa. 



HERBACEOUS PLANTS, 251 

Isotoraa axillaris, Anagallis Monelli, grandiflora coeru- 
lea, Phillipsii. Trachelium coeruleum. Lobelia ignea, 
Milleri, spleiideus violacea. Peutstemon cobaea, Murra}'- 
anus. Gardoquia betonicoides. Agatlie coelestis. Agera- 
tum coelestinum. Calceolaria, Prince Albert and flori- 
bunda. Petunia, Prince Alfred-Ernest, Duchess of Kent, 
and Sinipsonii. 

The management of color is more difficult. When the 
long duration of the flowering season is considered, it will 
be obvious that it is impossible to keep up the show of a 
single border or plot for six months together, and conse- 
quently, that much of the labor employed in mixing colors 
is misspent, since plants, as they are commonly arranged, 
come dropping into flower one after another : and even 
where a certain number are in bloom at the same time, 
they necessarily stand apart, and so the effects of contrast, 
which can be perceived only among adjacent objects, are 
entirely lost. To obviate this defect, it has been recom- 
mended that ornamental plants should be formed into four 
or five separate suites of flowering, to be distributed over 
the garden. Not to mention the more vernal flower, the 
first might contain the flora of May ; the second that of 
June ; the third that of July ; and the fourth the tribes 
of August and the following months. These plants should 
be kept in separate compartments, arranged either singly 
or in masses ; but the compartments themselves should be 
so intermingled as that no particular class should be en- 
tirely absent from any one quarter of the garden. The 
May parterres should, however, chiefly occur in the vicinity 
of the green-house or conservatory, or, when these are ab- 
sent, in a warm sunny situation. The flowerings of June 
and July, as being highly showy, should occupy the most 
conspicuous parts of the garden. The autumnal peren- 



252 FLOWKR GARDEN. 

nials, not boin/]; so imposing, may rotiro into tlie uiorr no- 
cliulinl situuiionH, as tlu^y nro snpplanlcd by the suporior 
brilliani'v ot* tho annuals, wliich t lien till tljo vucated bods 
ol" llorisis' llowors, or aro soatterod over tho faded olunips 
of Mny and Juno. 

lioforo aitouipting to j)lanl., the iloriculturiat would do 
well to construct tables or lists ol' tlovvers, spccifyiuij; their 
respective times of ilowerini:^, their colors, and altitudes. 
These tables, wlien .skillfully used, would prevent mis- 
takes, jtroduce a i^reater facility oi' execuLion, and put the 
colors nearly as niueh under control as (hey are o\\ i\\c 
painter's ]>allet. To iliversity properly ami niingle well 
toijjether the reds, whites, purph's, ytdlows, and bines, with 
all their intervenini!; shades, ret|uire?i considerable taste 
and powers ot conception ; but it" success is not attained in 
the tirst attiMuj)!, inaccuracii's sluudd he noted, and rectifi- 
ed at the propm- time next season. Certain series of colors 
liave been «*;iven, but these it is needless to uunition, as it 
is not very material whether the first flower in a row bo 
red or white. The principal object is to preserve an ai«;ree- 
able contrast; and as at particular seasons a nuuiotony of 
tint ])ri>vails, it is useful at such tinu's to lu* in possession 
of sonu» strouii; «»;larini2; colors. White, for instance, should 
be niiu'h employed in July, to break the duller blu(\s and 
pur})les which then preponderate. Tlu^ orangt^ lily, too, 
is very etVectivo at that season. (>u the other hand, yel 
lows are suberabundant in autumn, and therefore reds and 
blues should iIumi b(> sought for. 

liesides uun'C vividness of color and elegance of form, 
there are other qualities which render })lanls desirable iu 
the flower garden. Whoever has visited a botaiue garilen, 
uuist have been sensible of an iiitercst excited by tho 
curious struoturo of some plants, or by their rarity. Evou 



HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 253 

quaiutneBS of form is deserving of attention : and on this 
principle, Allium fistulosum (the common Welsh onion) 
may be allowed to figure in a flower border. At the samo 
time, it must be admitted that such expedients should be 
employed with reserve. No handsome plant should be re- 
jected because it is common, nor any ill-favored one intro- 
duced merely because it is scarce. The flower-gardener 
should have a small nursery frame for the propagation of 
the finer plants, so as to have at hand a stock, to be trans- 
ferred into the borders as often as required. 

Numerous specimens of such showy plants as Verbena 
Brillii, atro-satiguinea, and Mont Blanc Phlox Drummondii, 
with Scarlet (jeraniums, J^etunias, Salvias, and Fuchsias, 
may easily be kept over winter, in a green-house or vinery, 
in the very small pots called " thumbs," ready to be 
plunged in the open borders in May ; where they uniformly 
bloom witii much greater vigor and brilliancy than under 
glass. 

We shall here enumerate merely the names of a few of 
the most ornamental flowers, adapted to the British flower 
garden.* 

Vcrrud Jlerbaceoua Plants. — Ilelleborus niger, lividus ; Eranthug 
hyomaliH ; Ifopatica, triloba, var. ; Primula vulgaris var., veris, elatior, uiar- 
ginata, helvetica, nivalis, viscosa, intcgrifolia, cortusoides ; Cortusa Ma- 
thioli ; Soldanella alpina, Clusii ; Viola odorata double-flowered, tricolor, 
biflora, altaica ; iJodccatheon Meadia vars. ; Orobus vernus ; Adonis ver- 
nalifi ; Omphalodes verna; Corydaiia lutea, longiflora ; Sanguinaria cana- 
densis; Irispumila; Ancrnono apennina, Ilalleri, Pulsatilla ; Sisyrinchium 
grandiflorum. 

Vernal I'lanls. — Qentiana vcrna, acaulis. Saxifraga oppositifolia. 
Genista Scorpius. Ilepatica Americana. Dondia epipactus. Orobus ver- 

* It must bo borne in mind by the American floriculturist that the times 
and seasons here referred to arc those of England, and will bo found not pre- 
cisely to corrcsfx/nd with the precise times of planting in any one part of the 
United States. 



'2a 4 FLOWER GARDEN. 

nu3, 11. pi. Arabia grandiflora. Heterotropa asaroides. Nordmannia cor- 
difolia. Aubretia deltoidea. 

Vernal Bulbous Plants. — Galanthus nivalis ; Leucoium vernum ; Cro- 
cus, various species ; Cyclamen coum, vernum ; Corydalis bulbosa ; Ery- 
thronium Dens canis ; Narcissus Pseudo-narcissus, moschatus, odorus, Jon- 
quilla, <fcc. ; Fritillaria imperalis, meleagris, persica ; Gagea lutea ; Tulipa 
sylvestris ; Iris persica; Trillium grandiflorum, <fcc., Scilla verna, praecox, 
bifolia, sibirica. Smilacina umbellata ; Galanthus plicatus ^ Sisyrinchium 
grandiflorum; Leontice altaica ; Trichonema bulbocodium; Erythronium 
longifolium ; Symplocarpus foetidus, or skunk-flower; Ajax exigua, nana 
major and minor ; Merendera caucasica ; Scilla amoena ; Saxifraga granu- 
lata, fl. pi. Claytonia virginica. 

Herbaceous Plants JiotiJering m May. — Anemone narcissiflora, sylvestris, 
diehotoma ; Primula farinosa, scotica ; Convallaria majalis ; Uvularia 
grandiflora, perfoliata : Phlox divaricata, subulata, setacea, <fec. ; Aspho- 
delus luteus, ramosus; Draba, Aizoides ; Viola cornuta, obliqua ; Gentiana 
verna, acaulis ; Lupinus polyphyllus ; Gaillardia bicolor ; Iris florentina, 
cristata, &c.— Bulbs : Leucoium Eestivum, Scilla non-scripta, italica, &c. 
Hyacinthus monstrosus ; Muscari moschatura, botyroides, comosum ; Nar- 
cissus Bulbocodium, poeticus. Tiarella cordifolia ; Mitella diphylla ; Aren- 
aria verna, and a variety with double flowers ; Verbascum Myconi. Aspe- 
rula odorata, the sweet woodroof of our woods. Iloustonia coerulea ; Pul- 
monaria azurea, ofBcinalis. Trollius asiaticus ; Symphytum asperrimum ; 
Onosma echioides ; Aretia alpina ; Androsace maxima ; Soldanella mon- 
tana ; Linnaoa borealis ; Waldstenia geoides. Aquilegia canadensis and 
venusta ; Dodecatheon Media and integrifolia -, Epimedium Muschianum 
and violaceum. Spira3a venusta. 

Bulbous. — Ornithogalum umbellatum, pyrenaicum, narbonense, nutans ; 
Leucojum vernum ; Narcissus dubius, Tacetta ; Puschkinia scilloidcs ; Scil- 
la esculenta, the quamash of the American Indians ; S. japonica, campanu- 
lata, and peruviana. 

June. — Herbaceous Plants : P^eonia officinalis, albiflora, corallina, Hu- 
mii, <fec. ; Dianthus, species ; Geranium saugnnieum, Lancastriense, Walli- 
chianum, striatum, Ac. ; Monarda didyma, Kalmiana ; Papaver bractea- 
tum ; Saxifraga, species ; Spiraea, species ; Mimulus Ilarrisonii, atro-roseuaj 
moschatus ; Trollius Americanus, europaius ; Lysimachia verticillata ; Ve- 
ronica latifolia, &c. ; Geum coccineum ; Aconitum napellus, &c. ; Potentilla 
nepalensis, &c. — Bulbs: Allium Moly, Gladiolus psittacinus, communis; 
Liliura Pomponium, bulbiferum, aurantiacum, monadelphum. penduliflorum, 
eoncolor, &c. ; Iris Xiphium, Xiphioides ; Myosotis alpestris ; Anchusa 
italica ; Pentstemon Richardsonii ; Actsea spicata ; Koniga maritima ; Alys- 



HERBACEOUS PLANTS. 255 

cum saxatile ; Smilacina stellata ; Polemonium coeruleum ; Paeonia, diflFer- 
ent species; Mirabillis jalapa; Dianthus grandiflorus and splendidissimus ; 
Delphinium Guthrianum ; Phlox bicolor ; Aconitum bicolor ; Aconitum 
ovatum ; Potentilla Mayana, atro-sanguinea, Hopwoodiana, and Thomasii ; 
Ononis rotundifolia ; Lychnis flos-cuculi, fl. alba pL Aquilegia glauca, 
fragrans, and Brownii. 

Bulberous and Tuberous. — Cyackia liliastrum ; Phalangium liliago; 
Ornithogalum nutans Eremurus spectabilis ; Uvularia sessilifolia, lanceo- 
lata ; Arum triphyllum ; Arum Dracunculus and Virginianum ; Asphodilus 
albus and creticus ; Convallaria multiflora ; Oxalis Bonariensis, alba, and 
rubra ; Scilla pratensis ; Funkia Sieboldtii, lanceolata marginata, undulata 
variegata. 

July. — Herbaceous Plants: Phlox intermedia, and many other species 
of that fine genus ; Pentstemon, numerous species ; CEnothera, various spe- 
cies ; Campanula persicifolia, &c. ; Morinia longiflora ; Delphinum Bar- 
lowii ; Asclepias amcena, syriaca ; Iris fulva, pallida, variegata ; Gentiana 
lutea, asclepiadea, cruciata, septemfida, &e. ; Chelone obliqua, barbata, 
lijoni.— Bulbs : Lilium martagon, canadense, tigrinum, superbum, &c. ; 
Tigridia pavonia, Coramelina coelestis, Cyclamen hederasfolium ; Phlox 
omniflora, P. Van Houttii, Princess Marian, new striped varieties ; Pent- 
stemon gentianoides, and var. coccinea, alba, and new blue. Calceolaria, 
integrifolia, rugosa, rubra, and many pretty hybrids between the Chili spe- 
cies. Verbena, Whites, Ada, candidissima. Avalanche, and Queen of 
Whites ; Scarlets, Bakerii, Boule de feu, Chandlerii, and Englefieldii ; Pur- 
ples, Charlwoodii, Neillii, Emma, and Hudsonii ; Crimsons, Defiance, Em- 
peror, Louis Phillippe, and Stewartii ; Salmon, Beaute Supreme, Aurora, 
Sunbeam, and elegantissima ; Rose, Coquette, excelsa, modesta, and Queen 
of England. Lupinus grandifolius ; Alstroemeria aurea ; Tradescantia vir- 
ginica, or blue spiderwort, and also varieties with white and with purple 
flowers. Antirrhinum caryophilloides ; Boule de feu, quadricolor coccinea. 
Youngii, picta, superba, and tubiflora ; Petunia, Kentish Beauty, Prince 
Alfred-Ernest, Rising Sun, Hebe, and Attraction ; Anemone yitifolia ; 
Gypsophila altissima ; Geum coccineum ; Cypella Herbertii ; Stachys ino- 
dora, speciosa ; Lobelia pyramidalis. 

A utumnal Herbaceous Plants : Phlox decussata, pyramidalis, tardi- 
flora, bicolor, &c. ; Lobelia cardinalis, fulgens, splendens, &c. ; Aster sibiri- 
cus, amellus, puleher, &c. ; Solidago, several species ; Aconitum japonicum, 
volubile, variegatum ; Gentiana ; Saponaria. — Bulbs ■' Colchicum autum- 
nale ; Crocus nudiflorus, serotinus ; Tritoma, pallida, media ; Lavatera 
arborea ; Eupatorium cannabinum ; Stevia salicifolia ; Saponaria officinalis, 
with double flowers ; Nepeta longiflora ; Statice latifolia ; Salvia conferti- 



256 FLOWER, GARDEN. 

flora ; Dahlias of man}' sorts ; Astelbo rivularis ; Phlox elegans ; Campa- 
nula lactiflora ; Gladiolus Gandavensis ; Achillea Ptarmica, fl. plen ; Aster 
diffusus, floribuntlus, foliosus, panioulatus, and speetabilis ; Cholono obliqua ; 
Coreopsis vertioillata ; Eupatorium piirpurenm ; Ilelianthus giganteus and 
macrophyllus ; Liatris, scariosa, spicata, macrostachya, and pyenostachya ; 
Serratula coronata and centauroides. 

It is with regret that wo thus confine ourselves to a dry list of border 
flowers ; but to classify and characterize them with anything like jus- 
tice would require many pages. Within the last few years great acces- 
sions of desirable plants have been made to our stores. The Lupines and 
Pentstemons from Columbia River, the Verbenas and Calceolarias from 
South America, and the Potentillas and Geraniums from Nepal, have in a 
great measure changed the face of our flower gardens. While our riches 
have multiplied, the difficulty as well as the necessity, of making a selection 
has also increased. 

Most herbaceous perennial plants are propagated by parting the roots, or 
by cuttings ; but some more conveniently by the sowing of seed. 

BieJinial Plants. — Plants whose existence is limited to two years, in the 
latter of which they flower and then decay, are called biennials. Many of 
them possess considerable beauty ; and by their easj' propagation, and rapid 
growth, they afford a ready means of decorating borders. The following 
may be considered most worthy of notice : Agrostemma coronaria ; Antir- 
rhinum majus ; Hedysarum coronarium ; Lunaria biennis ; Campanula 
media ; CEnothera sinuata, biennis ; "\''orbascum formosum. Althaea grandi- 
flora, Scabiosa atro-purpurea, Mathiola simplicicaulis. Digitalis purpurea, 
var. monstrosa or campanulata, Erysimum Perowfskianum. Oenothera 
Drummondii ; Iberis Tenoriana ; Altha^i grandiflora ; Linaria tristis ; Ma- 
thiola incana ; Cheiranthus fruiticulosus, with double flowers ; Lunaria 
biennis, or moonwort, the large silvery silicles of which are more ornamental 
than its flowers ; Frasera carolinensis ; Ammobium alatum ; Anchusa 
italica ; Erytholoena conspicua ; French Honeysuckle. When a very de- 
sirable VQ7'ieti/ of any plant is procured, such as the striped Antirrhinum 
magus, or double varieties of Wall-flower, Sweet William, or Mule Pinks, 
attention should be paid to the striking or cuttings during the summer, as 
the only sure means of continuance. 

Biennials are sown in beds in the end of spring, and are generally trans- 
planted in the course of the autumn into the places where they are intended 
to stand, that they may be confirmed before winter, and shoot up readily 
into flower in tlie following summer. 

Annual Plants. — Many of the annual species, though of fugitive duration, 
are possessed of much beauty of hue and elegance of form. They are fur- 



ANNUAL PLANTS. 257 

ther valuable from their pliability, so to speak, and the promptitude with 
which they may be used. They are besides of easy culture, many requiring 
nothing more than to have the seeds sown in the spot where they are to grow 
and flourish. Annuals may be divided into three classes, the hardy, the 
half-hardy, and the tender. The first class, as stated above, are sown at 
once in the ground which they are to occupy ; ih^ half -hardy succeed best 
when aided at first by a slight hotbed, and then transj)lanted into the open 
air ; the tender are kept in pots, and treated as green-house or stove plants, 
to which' departments they properly belong, ^t is scarcely necessary to re- 
mark, that the hardy and haf-hardy sorts may be grown either in patches 
or in beds, and are subjected to all the rules which regulate the disposition 
of common border flowers. 

Hardy Annuals. — Platystemon californicus ; Collomia coccinea ; Lepto- 
siphon androsace and densiflorus ; Viscaria oculata and Binneyii ; Valeria- 
nella congesta ; Eucharidium concinnum ; Godetia viscosa, Lindleyana, and 
multiflora ; Eutoca multiflora, viscida ; Campanula speculum, Lorii ; Ma- 
lope trifida ; Hibiscus trionum, bifrons ; Nolana, various species ; Papaver 
somniferum, numerous varieties ; P. Pihceas, varieties ; Gilia capitata, tri- 
color, splendens ; Collinsia grandiflora ; bicolor ; Kaulfussia amelloides ; 
Clarkia pulchella, elegans ; (Enothera rosea, rosea-alba, tenella, Roman- 
zovii ; Senecio elegans ; Mathiola annua (ten-week stock) ; Aster sinensis 
(China aster) ; Lupinus, several species ; Nemophila insignis, atomaria, 
cramboides, discoidalis ; Eschscholtzia calLfornica, crocea ; Limnanthes 
grandiflora ; Calandrma grandiflora ; Bartonia aurea ; Colinsia bicolor, 
vema, heterophylla ; Clintonia pulchella, elegans ; Malope grandiflora ; 
Leptosiphon luteu.? ; Platystemon califomicum ; Collomia grandiflora ; 
Coreopsis diversifolia ; Sanvitalia procumbens ; Phacelia congesta, tenace- 
tifolia ; Caliopsis astrosanguinea ; Centaurea Americana ; Lasthena cali- 
fomica ; Madia elegans ; Lupinus bicolor, elegans ; Helichrysum mecran- 
thum ; Adonis autumnalis ; Iberis umbellata ; Alyssum, several species ; 
Linaria, various species ; Delphinium Ajacis, consolida ; Lavatera trimes- 
tris ; Sphenogyne spcciosa ; Cladanthus arabicus ; Schizanthus Priestii ; 
Eucaridium grandiflorum ; Papaver Marsillii ; Eutoca Wrangeliana, diva- 
ricata, and Menziesii ; Silene armeria ; Rudbeckia amplexicaulis. 

Half-Hardy Annuals. — Callistema hortense ; Lopezia racemosa ; Rho- 
danthe Manglesii ; Tagetes patula (French marigold), erecta (African 
marigold), racemosa, &c. ; Zinnia elegans, pauciflora ; Xeranthemum an- 
nuum, Helichrysum fulgidum, Chrysanthemum carinatum ; Schizanthus 
pinnatus, porrigens, Grahami, Hookeri ; Salpiglossis atro-purpurea, picta ; 
Petunia nyctaginiflora ; Mirabilis Jalapa ; Mesembryanthemum crystalli- 
num, tricolor, white and red ; Brachycoma ibeirdifolia ; Clintonia elegans, 



258 FLOWER GARDEN. 

pulchella ; Phlox Drummondii, with its varieties ; Campanula stricta ; Ipo- 
mopsis elegans ; Argemone grandiflora ; Didiscus coeruleus ; Ipomopsis 
elegans ; Hunnemannia fumariasfolia ; Ageratum Mexicanum ; Limnan- 
thus Douglassii ; Blumenbachia incana, multifida ; Heliophila araboides ; 
Hibiscus Africanus ; Cosinus tenuifolius ; Calandruia discolor, grandiflora; 
Loasa tricolor, insignis, lateritia ; Anagallis Indica, lilacina ; Salpiglossis 
straminea ; Amaranthus caudatus. 

Tender Annuals. — Impatiens Balsamina, Browallia elata, Celosia cristata 
(cockscomb), Gomphraena globosa ; Solanum melongena ; Ipomaea Quamo- 
clit ; Mimosa pudici (humble plant), sensitiva (sensitive plant) . Thunber- 
gia alata ; Hedysarum gyrans, or moving plant, which, in our hot-houses, 
often endure for two seasons (as do also Mimosa pudica and sensitiva) ; Bro- 
wallia grandiflora ; Cleome rosea, heterophylla ; Scyphanthus elegans , 
Loasa Pentlandica ; Martynia proboscidea ; Lisianthus Russellianus. 

We have here enumerated only a small selection of spe- 
cies,* out of a multitude which is continually receiving ac- 
cessions. A good many of the sorts mentioned have been 
introduced during the last twenty years; and we doubt not 
that, in an equal period from the present, many more will 
come into notice. 

Before leaving this part of the subject, it may be proper 
to mention that it is now the practice of some florists to 
grow and treat as annuals, or rather as biennials, great 
quantities of the more hardy Pelargonia, Verbenae, Salvias, 
Fuchsias, Petunias, and. other genera. Grown in moderate 
sized pots, they are kept in reserve in frames or cold vine- 
ries during winter. About the end of May, or as soon as 
there is no longer any apprehension of injury from frost, 
the plants are taken out of the pots and plunged into the 
open ground, in any warm sunny spot or clump in the flower 
garden. If the stems be long or naked, they are pegged to 
the earth. Towards the middle of July they begin to grow 
vigorously, and in August or September present, in luxuri- 
ance at least, a better specimen of their native vegetation 

* Additional lists in Appendix. 



florists' flowers. 259 

than we see elsewhere in our gardens. Upon the approach 
of frost they are, in general, left to their fate, as it is easier 
to propagate new ones than to preserve the old. These 
plants, with some of the fine new annuals, and the gorgeous 
Dahlias, give a splendor to the autumnal flower garden 
which in former times it did not possess. 



florists' flowers. 

This technical appellation has been restricted to certain 
flowers, which have been especial favorites with florists, and 
have consequently received a large share of their attention.* 
Though possessed of great individual beauty, few of them 
are calculated to make a show at a distance, and the 
arrangements requisite for their culture do not harmonize 
well with the general disposition of a flower garden. It is 
therefore desirable, particularly when considerable refine- 
ment is aimed at, that a separate garden, or a separate sec- 
tion of the garden, should be set apart for their culture. 
The more robust or less valuable varieties, however, which 
are often as ornamental as the most esteemed, may be intro- 
duced into the general parterres. We shall notice the most 
considerable, in the order in which they naturally attract 
attention. 

The Hyacinth, Hyacinthus orientalis, one of the most 

* The finest new varieties of florists' flowers, as well as novelties in 
the strictly botanical department, are figured and described in Harrison's 
Florticultural Cabinet, a cheap monthly periodical, which has avast circula- 
tion in England. While the letter-press is rather deficient in botanical pre- 
cision, and the engraving sometimes inferior in style of embellishment, it \h 
certain that much useful information may be gleaned from the work, both a.s 
to new varieties and superior modes of culture ; and it is but fair to add 
that the work has been greatly improved of late years. 



260 FLOWER GARDEN. 

beautiful aud fragrant of the spring flowers, is a native of 
the Levant, where it occurs abundantly, in form not unlike 
our common harebell. It has long been a favorite in the 
East ; but has been brought to its present artificial perfec- 
tion in Holland, chiefly since the beginning of last century. 
Many years ago it was successfully grown in the vicinity of 
Edinburgh, by James Justice, F. R. S., one of the most 
ingenious horticulturists of his time ; but it must be con- 
fessed that, in the culture of this flower, the British florists 
have never attained to the eminence of the Dutch, principally, 
however, as is alleged by some, from want of attention and 
painstaking. According to Miller, the catalogues of the 
Haarlem florists used to enumerate 200 sorts, some of which 
sold as high as £200 a bulb ; they are now less numerous, 
and much less expensive. 

Hyacinths are either single, semidouble, or double, and 
exhibit a great variety of tint. In a fine flower the stalk 
should be tall, strong, and upright; the blossoms numer- 
ous, large, and suspended in a horizontal direction ; the 
whole flower having a compact pyramidal form, with the 
uppermost blossom quite erect ; plain colors should be clear 
and bright ; and strong colors are preferable to pale ; when 
colors are mixed, they should blend with elegance. 

The hyacinth delights in a rich, light sandy soil ; aud it is 
chiefly owing to the want of these qualities in his composts 
that the British florist fails in the growth of this beautiful 
plant. The Dutch compost, as given by the late Hon. and 
Rev. Mr. Herbert in the London Tlortic. Transactions^ vol. 
iv., is the following: One-third coarse sea or river sand; 
one-third rotten cow-dung without litter ; and one-third 
leaf mould. The natural soil is removed to the depth of 
at least two feet, and the vacant space filled up with com- 
post, previously prepared and well mixed. These materia 



Hyacinths. 2b I 

als retain their qualities for six or seven years, but the 
Dutch do not plant hyacinths upon the same place for two 
years successively. In the alternate years they plant it 
with narcissus or crocus. We may mention that, in one of 
the finest beds of hyacinths ever seen in Scotland, a con- 
siderable portion of the soil was composed of sleech^ a sort 
of sandy and marly deposition from the ooze on the shores 
of the Forth. 

According to Mr. Main, St. Crispin's day, the 25th of 
October, is the best to plant the bulbs. They are generally 
arranged in rows, eight inches asunder, there being four 
rows in each bed ; or, if more convenient, they may be 
placed in rows across the bed. The bulbs are sunk about 
three or four inches deep, and it is recommended to put a 
small quantity of clean sand below and all around each. 
As the roots are liable to be injured by frost, it is usual to 
cover the beds with decayed tanners' bark, with litter, or 
with awnings. The first may be considered the neatest 
during winter, but an awning is nearly indispensable in 
spring, when the lingering colds prove exceeding hurtful to 
the young flower-stems. The awning may be made of 
coarse sheeting or duck. As the flower-stems appear, they 
are tied to little rods to keep them upright and preserve 
them from accident. In order to perfect the colors, the 
rays of the sun are admitted in the morning or in the eve- 
ning, but the glare of mid-day and the cold of night are 
both excluded. When the season of blossom is over, the 
awning is removed, or only replaced to keep off" heavy 
rains. Much of the success, in the culture of this flower, 
depends on the subsequent management of the bulbs. It 
is the practice in Holland, about a month after the bloom, 
or when the tips of the leaves assume a withered appear- 
ance, to dig up the roots, and, cutting ofi" the stem and the 



262 FLOWER GARDEN. 

foliage within half an inch of the bulb, but leaving the 
fibres untouched, to lay the bulbs sideways on the ground, 
covering them with half an inch of dry earth. After three 
weeks, they are again taken up, cleaned, and removed to 
the store room. In this country, it is more common to 
allow them to stand till the leaves be withered, and then to 
dig them up at once. In the store-room the roots should 
be kept dry, well aired, and apart from each other. 

Where forcing is practiced, a few hyacinths may be 
forced into deep flower-pots filled with light earth, and, 
when coming into flower, transferred to the green-house, 
which they enliven at the most dead season of the year. 
In chambers, they are grown in water-glasses made for the 
purpose; or, with still greater advantage, in boxes filled 
with damp hypnum-moss. 

New varieties of hyacinths are procured by sowing the 
seed ; but this is a tedious process, and seldom followed 
in this country. The established sorts are propagated by 
off"sets or small bulbs, which form at the base of the parent 
bulb. Almost all the hyacinths cultivated in this country 
are imported from Holland, and the quantity of roots an- 
nually introduced must be very great. 

The Tulip, Tulipa Gesneriana, is a native of the East, 
whence it was introduced into Europe about the middle of 
the sixteenth century. Gaudy as it is, it has no proper 
corolla, but only a calyx of six colored sepals. About the 
year 1635, the culture df the tulip was very engrossing ; 
and, indeed, the rage for possessing choice sorts had become 
so great in Holland as to give rise to a strange species of 
gambling, known to the collectors of literary and scientific 
anecdotes by the name of Tulipo-mania, which has tended 
to bring unmerited discredit on this fine flower. At pi*e- 
sent, the finer tulips are mostly of moderate price, and 



THE TULIP. 263 

though not to be met with in every garden, have yet some 
zealous cultivators. 

There are some varieties, such as the early Due Van 
Thol, yellow, white, and red ; the Clarimond, the Parrots, 
and the Double Tulips, which belong, properly speaking, 
to the general cultivator. The genuine tulip-grower des- 
pises these, and will not suffer them to enter his select bed, 
In England, the florists' tulips are arranged under four 
classes. L The Bizarres, which have a yellow ground 
marked with purple or scarlet. 2. The Byblcetnens with a 
white ground, marked with violet or purple. 3. The Roses ^ 
with a white ground, marked with rose or cherry color. 
4. The Self or Plain-colored tulips, which are of one uni- 
form color, and are chiefly valued as breeders. The byblce- 
men class includes most of those tulips which are held in 
high estimation in Britain ; but the rose or cherry colored 
are perhaps the most pleasing. 

The properties of a fine late tulip, as specified by Mr. 
Hogg, are the following, somewhat abridged. The stem 
should be strong, erect, thirty inches high : the flower large, 
of six petals (sepals), which should proceed almost hori- 
zontally at first, and, turning up, should form an almost 
perfect cup, with a round bottom, rather widest at top. 
The three exterior petals should be rather larger than the 
three interior ones : the limbs of the petals should be 
rounded, and freed from every species of serrature. The 
ground color of the flower at the bottom should be clear 
white or clear yellow ; and the various rich colored stripes, 
which are the principal ornament of a fine tulip, should be 
regular, bold, and distinct at the margin, and terminate in 
fine broken points, elegantly feathered or penciled. There 
are other refinements upon which florists are not quite 
agreed : and it must be confessed that their standard of 



2(1-1 n.owru i^Mj'hr.N. 

L'xoolloui'o is soiuowli:it taotitious ; for, io :in unlnsiruottHl 
OYO, tliough prni'tiood in the oontoin])l:itii>n of otlior sorts 
of boautv. a tulip, wliii'h h\ (lioin is loi^kinl upon as worth- 
loss, will ot'ton appear as lino as ihc olioii'ost variety in tlio 
soloot boil. Fino tulips uro so nuniorous that it is soarooly 
possible to nanio tlio most doi^irablo. vVnumixtho bizarros, 
the Kiuii;. rolvphonins, and I'Aoranl, aro lui:;hl3 pvi/.od. 

Tulips prosper in a pro]iaro(l ooinpost of light turfy 
soil, rit'lilv nianuroJ with wi^ll-rottcd oow-duuii;. Twenty 
inohos depth of soil should be renuned, ami the vaeaut 
space fdled up with eouipost. Some use alternate layers 
of light soil and eow-dung. The bed should be tilled up 
with eompost about the middle of Oetober, and in a. fort- 
niij;ht, wIumi the soil has subsided, the bulbs are planted in 
lows, distant seven or eight iuelu>s, and at the depth' of 
about three inehes. A little eleau saud may be put 
around the bulbs. After planting, the bed may be eovercd 
over with tan, as in the case of hyacinths. In spring, it is 
necessary to shield the leaves and tlower-stalks from frost, 
and also (vo\\\ heavv rains ; and wIumi in bloom, the flowers 
should be sheltered from the sun's rays, by which they arc 
speedily injured. A canvas awning, so ujoiuited on a 
frauui that it can be easily withdrawn and repl.aced, is re- 
quisite for every tine collection. The tulip is often 
regarded as soeutless ; but this is a mistake, for when con- 
centrated under the awning, the odor is very perceptible. 
After the sepals have fallen, the seed-vessels are broken 
off close by the stem, to prevent the plant from exhausting 
itself in perfecting seed, and to direct its energies to the 
forming of the new bulb. \Vheu the leaves have withered, 
the bulbs are taken up, dried, and stored, until the plant- 
ing season come round. 

Tulips are rculily propagated by offsets, which are taken 



7I/K RAlVTmCTJLtJH. 205 

'<^>ff from tlif; p.'ironf, biilf>H, and niirKorl in Hcparatc hod.-; till 
tfioy b<; full ^^rowD. Ncw varicti<3H aro rainod from Hocd ; 
they 3,r<; from five to Hcvcn yoarn old boforo thoy fjowor, 
and, if rained frooa prorrjiKCuouH Hcod, they oiUm turn out 
worthloHH. Karly in the eightfj^ifith eont.ury, tlie diHtiri- 
giiiHhed iScotiiKh cultivator, JuHtioe (already rnontioried aH 
u rnoKl HiioooHHiiii eiiltivator of hyacirjth.s), waH eminently 
HUCCCHHful in raitting fine Hecdling tulipH ; and Kome Hkillful 
floriHtH of our own day, Hue}) tin Mr. Oliver, of Ivlijihurgh, 
Httceeed in breaking their HcedlingH into colorH equal to the 
•cboieoHt hy])hnmenH of Holland, 'i'hey Have theHeedn from 
the firttt-rate HortK, the Htip;ma of the intended parent flower 
bavin^ been fertilized with the pollen (^' Kome other exeel- 
b:nt variety. Heediing tuIipH, it may be remarked, preHcnt 
thi» anomaly for the firnt tv/o or three yearfl, that they 
form their n<;v/ hiill;H Keveral inelies helew the old oneH, ho 
tliat an inexpf;rien(5<;d cultivator ifl wometimeH apt to iniHM 
them at the time of iifting. 

The /f,an'unou/Ms (it, ABiati^^iiiH) iH, like many other of 
the florintw' flowerH, a native of the Lev.'i-nt, wli'-.re it in a 
favorite of th(; 'i'lirkn. Jt haH Bported into innumerable 
varietieH, and thoBc now in cultivation in Kn//land are 
nriOHtly of JJritiKh origin, 'i'he plant Ih of Hmall ntature, 
fWninhed with de^yjmpoHite leavcH, and riwing from a root 
formed by a bundb; of little tuberK. 

According to the canonH of floral eritioism, the proper- 

ticH of a j&ne double ranuneuluH arc; the following: 'J'he 

Htem Hhould be ntrorjg, ntraight, and from eight to tea 

inchoH high, KUpporting a large, well-formed bloHHom at 

leawt two inchett in diameter, coriKiHting of numerouH petal«, 

the largoBt at the outaide, and gradually diminiHhing in 

ftize as they approach the centre of the flower, which Hhould 

be well filled up with them. The bloHHom Hhould be of a 

12 



266 FLOWER GARDEN. 

hemispherical form ; its? oompouont petaU imbricatecf, 
neither too c\o^c]y nor too much separated, ami having" 
rather a perpendicular than a horizontal direction. Tho 
petals should be broad, and have perfectly entire well- 
rounded edges; their colors should be dark, clear, rich, or 
brilliant, either consif^ting of one color throughout, or bo 
otherwise vurioiisly diversitied on an ash, white, sulphur, 
or fire-colorexi ground, or regularly stripeii, spotted, or mot- 
tled, in an elegant manner. 

The ranunculus requires a stronger and moister soil than 
most other flowers. Maddock prefers a fresh, strong, rich 
loam. Hogg recommends a fresh loam, with a considerable 
portion of rotted cow or horse-dung. 

The Rev. Mr. AVilliamson {Hort. Tra?is., vol. iv.) use* 
a stift' clay loam, with a fourth of rotton dung. " The 
bed should be dug from eighteen inches to two feet deep, 
and not raised more than four inches above the level of the 
walks, to preserve the moisture more etlectually : at about 
five inches below the surface should be placed a stratum ot 
two-year-old rotten cow-dung, mixed with earth, six or 
eight inches thick ; but the earth above this stratum, where 
the roots are to bo placed, should be perfectly free from 
dung, which would prove injurious if nearer. The fibres 
will draw sufficient nourishment at the depth above men- 
tioned ; but if the dung were placed deeper, it would not 
receive so much advantage from the action of the air." 
Other florists have recommended to put the manure at 
least two feet and a half below the surface of the earth. 
The principal object, however, is to maintain throughout 
the bed a genial moisture ; and this is to be done by avoid- 
ing all hot gravelly earths, and particularly soils that arc 
apt to cake. The tubers are planted late in autumn, or 
early in spring, in rows five or six inches apart, and three 



THE ANEMONE. 267 

or four inches separate in the rows. They should be so 
close that the foliage shall cover the surface of the bed, for 
in this way a salutary degree of shade and moisture is pre- 
served. The autumn-planted roots must be sheltered from 
frost by old tan or hooped mattings. When in flower, the 
plants are covered with an awning. When the leaves 
wither, the roots are taken up, dried, and stored. 

Scarcely any florists' flower is more readily propagated 
from seed, or sooner repays the care of the cultivator. The 
seed is obtained sparingly from semidouble sorts, which are 
often of themselves very beautiful flowers. It is generally 
sown in boxes in autumn or spring ; but it may also be 
sown with success in the open ground. The young plants 
flower, often in the second, and always in the third, year. 

The Anemone of the flower garden includes two species, 
Anemone coronaria, a native of the Levant, and A. hor- 
tensis, a native of Italy. These have long shared the at- 
tention of the florist, and in his arrangements have generally 
been associated with the ranunculus, resembling it in its 
natural affinities and mode of culture. The single and 
semidouble flowers are considered nearly as fine as the 
double ones. The sorts are numerous, but at present are 
seldom distinguished by names. In a fine double anemone, 
the stem should be strong, erect, and not less than nine 
inches high. The flower should be at least two and a half 
inches in diameter, consisting of an exterior row of large 
well-rounded petals, in the form of a broad shallow cup, 
the interior part of which should contain a number of small 
petals, mixed with stamens, imbricating each other. The 
colors should be clear and distinct when diversified in the 
same flower, or striking and brilliant when there is only 
one tint. Of late years, anemones remarkable for the mag- 
nitude of their flowers and the brilliancy of their hues have 



268 FLOWER GARDEN'. 

been imported from Holland, particularly by Mr. Lawson, 
of Ediuburgli. 

The soil and culture are so nearly the same as in the 
ranunculus that it is needless to specify them. The plant 
continues longer in the flower, and the leaves often remain 
so long green that it is diflScult to find a period of inaction 
in which to take up the roots. It has been recouimended 
that, as soon as the bloom is over, the bed should be 
screened from rain by mattings until the leaves wither. As 
the tuberous roots are rather brittle, they require consider- 
able care in handling. Anemones are easily raised from 
the seed. A bed of single anemones, it may be remarked, 
is a valuable addition to a flower garden, as it aftbrds, in a 
warm situation, an abundance of handsome and often bril- 
liant spring flowers, almost as clearly as the snow-drop or 
the crocus. 

AYhen the bloom of the hyacinth, tulip, ranunculus, or 
anemone, is over, the beds should be tilled up with small 
showy annuals, which will soon restore their gay aspect. 
These annuals are to be raised on a hot bed, and kept in it, 
or in patches in a piece of reserve ground, till wanted. 

The jS'a7cissits is an extensive genus, including a great 
many interesting species and varieties. It belongs, how- 
ever, rather to the botanico-florist than to the florist proper ; 
but, as it contains many plants of great elegance, it ought 
to receive more general attention. The Polyanthus Nar- 
cissus (N. Tazetta) aftbrds the varieties which are yearly 
cultivated by florists, the bulbs of which are yearly im- 
ported in quantities from Holland. These prosper in a 
light soil^ containing a little well-rotted dung. The roots 
should not be stirred more frequently than once in three 
years ; and this remark applies also to Narcissus Jonquila 
and odorus, the small and large jonquil, of which fragrant 



THE IRIS. 



269 



plants there should be beds in every flower garden. N. 
Tazetta, like the hyacinth, may also be grown either in jjots 
or in water-glasses. 

jj-is, — The apecies which peculiarly appertain to the 
florist are, I. Xiphium and Xiphioides, of both of which 
there are many beautiful varieties. They are of easy cul- 
ture, succeeding in almost any kind of soil, and requiring 
to be moved only once in three or four years. The roots 
are not improved by being kept out of the ground ; and 
perhaps the best method is, upon taking them up and free^ 
ing them from their shaggy skins, to replant them imme- 
diately. 

Besides these, may be mentioned the Persian Iris (I. 
Persica), a low bulbous-rooted plant, with delicate blue or 
violet-colored flowers, and some degree of fragrance. It is 
extensively cultivated by the Dutch, from whom bulbs are 
annually procured. It is sometimes grown in water, but 
oftener in pots of nearly pure sand. When planted out, it 
requires to be guarded from frosts and heavy rain. The 
Snake's-head Iris (I. tuberosa) is also a fragrant species, 
and is more hardy than the preceding. Mr. Denson, who 
has been very successful in the culture of this plant, recom- 
mends, in Gard. Mag., vol. viii., that it should be allowed 
to stand two or three years in succession on the same spot : 
when, " in July, take it up and divide the tubers, planting 
them, soon as dug up, six inches deep in a compost formed 
of half-friable mould, or old hotbed dung, rotted to the 
consistence of soil. Let the situation be a dry bed or bor- 
der, at the base of a wall with a southern aspect, and plant 
the tubers close to the wall, or only a few inches from it." 
The Chalcedonian Iris (I. susiana) is the most magnificent 
species of the genus, and is well worth the labor of the cul- 
tivator. Its stalk, seldom a foot high, is surmounted by a 



270 FLOWER GARDEN. 

splendid corolla, the petals of which are nearly as broad as 
the hand, and arc of purple or black ground, delicately 
striped ^Yith Ayhite. It prefers a loamy soil and a sunny 
exposure, and must be guarded from moisture and frosts in 
■winter. For these three species, Mr. Loudon recommends 
the protection of a frame. 

There are many other species which are worthy of a 
place in a select flower garden, and, when well grouped in 
a peaty earth, form an agreeable appendage to a parterre. 
Of these, we may mention the low-creeping I. cristata and 
pumila, the more aspiring prismatica,flexuosa,virginica", sor- 
dida, variegata, and Swertii, the taller Sibirica, triflora, and 
ochroleuca, the broad-leaved Florentina, Germanica, and 
Sambucina, and the stately pallida, which for simple elegance, 
is not outshone by any of its compeers. This beautiful family 
was zealously cultivated by the late amiable David Falconar, 
Esq., of Carlo wrie, who introduced some of its most inter- 
esting members to the horticultural world in Scotland. 

T]ie Lily. — Of the genus Lilium there are many species, 
some of which have not been exhibited to the extent of 
their capabilities in the flower garden. The old white Lily 
(L. Candidum), after supplying the poets with so much 
imagery, has retired into the modest station of a common 
border flower. The flaunting Orange-Lily (L. bulbiferum) 
and the Turk's Cap (L. Martagon), may occupy the same 
place. The scarlet Martagon (L. Chalcedonicum) is worthy 
of more care, as being more beautiful and more tender. It 
does not relish being disturbed, and it dislikes peat. On 
the contrary, the splendid Tiger Lily (L. tigrinum), which 
propagates rapidly by auxiliary bulbs, succeeds best in 
peaty soil. The same remark applies to the rarer L. cana- 
dense and superbum (magnificent species), as well as to L. 
concolor, Pennsylvanicum, and others, which ought to be 



THE DAHLIA, OH GEORGINA 271 

more common iu our gardens. L. Japonicum, longiflorum, 
and lancifolium, iu wLieh the genus attains its greatest 
magnificence, unfortunately require a finer climate than 
ours, and some bulbs of these should, therefore, be grown iir 
pots under glass, but others may be risked in a sheltered 
border. 

The Gladioli or corn-flags are extremely ornamental. 
The Cardinal Lily (Gladiolus cardinalis) well deserves the 
name of superb : when seen in flower in masses, the eff'ect 
is truly brilliant. In order to success, it must be grown in 
tufts, and the tufts should be left undisturbed for successive 
years ; " the old skins of the decayed bulbs permitting the 
wet to drain away, and preventing the earth from lying 
close and heavy on the new bulbs," as observed by the 
late eminent Mr. Herbert. A little litter of any sort 
thrown over the bed affords sufficient protection during the 
winter. 

Omitting Crocus, Fntillaria,Sind other bulbous genera, 
which are sometimes treated as florists' flowers, we proceed 
to one of the prime ornaments of the autumnal flower 
garden, the Dahlia^ or Georgina, as it is called by some 
writers. 

The Dahlia (of which there are two principal species, 
D. variabilis and coccinea) is a native of Mexico, from which 
it was introduced in 1789, but afterwards lost by our cul- 
tivators; It was re-introduced in 1804; but it was not 
till ten years later that it was generally known in our gar- 
dens. The first plants were single, of a pale purple color, 
and though interesting, as afi"ording a new form of floral 
ornament, they by no means held forth a promise of the 
infinite diversity of tint and figure exhibited by their 
double-flowered successors. At present the varieties are 
endless, each district of the country possessing suites of its 



27xi FLOWER GARDEN. 

OWD, and cultivators occasioDally raising at one sowing js 
dozen kinds which they think worthy of preservation. The 
results have been most propitious to the flower garden y 
from which, indeed, the Dahlia could now nearly as ill be 
spared, as the potato from the kitchen garden. 

The varieties of Dahlia may be classed under tl: e follow- 
ing heads: 1. The Common or Camellia form, under 
which the double sorts first appeared. This is by far the 
most numerous class, and perhaps the most beautiful. Tiie 
dwarf sorts are in most repute. 2. The Anemonc-floweredj, 
having a radius of large petals, and a central disk of smaller 
ones, somewhat like tlie double anemone. 3. Ghbc-Jloiv- 
ered^ having small globular flowers, which are extremely 
double. Thoy possess great intensity of color, and,, rising 
for the most part about the leaves, make generally as 
striking an appearance as those of a more massive efflores- 
cence. 

In a fine Dahlia the flower should be fully double, always 
filling the centre ; the florets sho^d be entire or nearly so, 
regular in their disposition, each series overlapping the 
other backwards : they may be either plain or quilled, but 
never distorted : if, instead of being reflexed, the florets 
are recurved, the flov/er will be more symmetrical. The 
peduncles ought to be strong eno^ugh to keep the blossoms 
erect, and long enouigh to show the flowers above theleaves-. 
Bright and deep velvety colors are most admired. 

Dahlia competitions now excite great interest in the 
floricultural world ; almost every considerable town having 
its annual show, when gold and silver medals, cups, and 
other pieces of plate,, are keenly contended for ; private 
amateurs and professional cultivators competing respec- 
tively among themselves. Fine flowers have become so 
numerous that it were a hopeless task to offer a list. 



THE DAHLIA, OR GEORGINA. 273 

Among the most highly prized in England at the present 
day may only be mentioned, Dodd's Mary, Duchess of 
Richmond, Essex Rival, Widhall's Conductor, Suffolk 
Hero, Ruby, Sussex Rival, Marquis of Lothian, Cox's 
Yellow, Grace Darling, Climax, Sir John Franklin, Sir F. 
Eathurst, Magnificent, Yellow Perfection, Snow-flake, 
Elizabeth, &c., &c. 

New varieties are, of course, procured from seed ; the 
utmost attention being paid to the parentage and the 
crossing of flowers of different colors. If sown in flower- 
pots, and aided by a little heat, the seedlings, speedily 
planted out, will flower the first season. Established vari- 
eties are propagated by dividing the large tuberous roots ; 
but, in doing so, care must be taken to have an eye to 
each portion of tuber, otherwise it will not grow. Some- 
times shoots of rare varieties are grafted on the roots of 
others. A good method, now generally practised, is to 
take cuttings close from the roots of the plants, as soon as 
they shoot up in the beginning of summer, and to strike 
them in small flower-pots. They strike freely, and the 
plants generally show flower during the same season. 

Dahlias succeed best in an open situation, and in rich 
loam ; but there is scarcely any garden soil in which they 
will not thrive, if well manured. They are, however, in- 
jured by being repeatedly planted on the same spot. 
They may stand singly like common border flowers, but 
have the most imposing appearance when seen in masses 
arranged according to their stature. Old roots often 
throw up a multitude of stems, which render thinning 
necessary. As the plants increase in height, they should 
be furnished with strong stakes, by being tied to which 
they may withstand high winds. Dahlias generally con- 
tinue to show their flowers till they be interrupted by frost 

12* 



274 FLOWER GARDEN. 

in the end of autumn. The roots are then taken up, dried, 
and stored in a cellar, or some other place where they may 
be secured from frost and moisture. Early in the spring, 
the tubers of the finer varieties are placed among loaf- 
mould on a hotbed,* or in boxes in a stove, to start them, 
as the gardeners speak. When thus forwarded, they begin 
to flower in July, or six weeks earlier than usual ; and 
cuttings taken off from such started tubers in April are 
sure to form flowering plants in September. 

The Auricula (Primula Auricula) is a native of the 
Alps and the Caucasus. It has long been an inmate of 
our gardens, and has generally been a favorite with those 
florists whose means and appliances are of a limited kind. 
Some of the most successful cultivators at present are 
among the operatives in the vicinity of Manchester and 
Paisley. 

Besides the double varieties, which have never been in 
much repute. Auriculas are classed under two divisions : 
the Selfs or plain-colored, and the variegated or painted 
■sorts. Professed florists confine their attention to the 
latter : it must, however, be confessed, that their criteria 
of fine flowers are often arbitrary, and that, although many 
of their fiivorites are examples of undoubted beauty, the 
eye of the uninitiated would generally prefer the simpler 
hues of the self-colored flowers. 

The auricula, though now almost wholly an artificial 
plant, and strangely transformed from its original appear- 
ance, still inclines to a moist soil and shady situation. The 
florists' varieties are grown in rich composts, for the pre- 
paration of which numberless receipts have been given. 
We quote that of Mr. Hogg, of Paddington, an expe- 
rienced grower : " One barrow of rich yellow loam, or 
fresh earth from some meadow, or pasture-land, or com- 



THE AURICULA. 275 

mon, with tli« turf well-rotted ; one barrow-load of leaf- 
mould, another of cow-dung, two years old at least; and 
one peck of river, not sea sand. For strong plants in- 
tended for exhibition, add to the same composition, as a 
stimulant, a barrowful of well-decayed night-soil, with the 
application of a liquid manure before the top-dressing in 
February, and twice more, but not oftener, in March. A 
portion of light, sandy, peat-earth may be added, as a safe 
and usefal ingredient, particularly for plants kept in low 
damp situations." 

Auriculas may be propagated from seed. It is to be 
sown in January or February in boxes, which are kept 
under cover, and exposed only to the rays of the morning 
sun. When seed has been saved from the finer sorts, the 
operation is one of considerable nicety, as it not unfre- 
quently happens that the best seedlings are at first exceed- 
ingly weak. The judicious grower never neglects these, 
but rather nourishes them with double care. They gene- 
rally flower in the second or third year ; and the florist is 
fortunate who obtains three or four good sorts out of a 
large sowing. The established varieties are increased by 
dividing the roots, an operation which is performed in 
July or in the beginning of August. 

Fine Auriculas are grown in pots about five or six 
inches in diameter ; the longer or deeper, so much the 
better. These are kept in frames, or stages, constructed 
for the purpose. For winter, perhaps, there is nothing 
better than a common hotbed frame, as this admits of an 
exact adjustment of air and temperature, things to which 
attention is absolutely necessary, as the plants approach 
the flowering season in the end of March. After the 
bloom is over, or in the beginning of June, the pots may 
be placed on stages slightly elevated and facing the north. 



276 FLOWER GARDEN, 

Though not absolutely necessary, it is uscsful to have the 
power of sheltering them from long-continued rains. It 
is usual every year to shift the plants, shortening the roots 
and giving them a large portion of new soil, soon after the 
flowers have decayed. For more detailed information on 
this subject, we may refer to the well-known treatises of 
Maddock and Hogg. 

The Folyanthus is supposed to be a seminal variety of 
Primula vulgaris, and is much cultivated by some florists. 
Like the auricula, it has sported into many hundred vari- 
eties. It is not necessary to give a detailed account of its 
culture, as it scarcely difters from that of the auricula. 
The polyanthus, however, is the hardier of the two, and 
seldom perishes from cold. It may be mentioned that 
there are several beautiful double varieties of the common 
Primrose, both white and dark purple, which are deserving 
of a place in every garden. 

The whole genus J^rimvla merits the attention of the 
curious cultivator. P. helvetica and nivalis adorn the 
flower borders in spring with their abundant trusses of 
blossom. P. marginata, when planted in a shady situa- 
tion, is equally lavish of its pale and delicately beautiful 
flowers. P. viscosa and integrifolia, with their intense 
colors, are the ornaments of the alpine frame ; or, with P. 
longifolia, farinosa, and Scotica, may be plunged into the 
margin of the American border. A supply, however, 
should be kept in pots. Besides these, we might name P. 
cortusoides, Pallasii, Palinuri, and others. The curious 
P. verticellata, and the splendid P. sinensis, are inmates 
of the green-house. Of this last there is a white variety, 
and also a double-flowered variety. The florist of simple 
taste will love them all, 
^ The Carnation (Dianthus caryophyllus) has long been 



THE CARNATION. 277 

a favorite flower, not only for the beauty but for the 
delightful fragrance of its blossoms. It is a native of 
Germany, and it is occasionally found in an apparently 
wild state in England. The cultivation of it, however, is 
by no means easy, but calls forth all the resources of the 
florist. The varieties, which are very numerous, have been 
arranged under three heads : Flakes^ having two colors, 
with their stripes running quite through and along the 
petals ; Bizarres^ irregularly spotted, and striped with not 
fewer than three colors ; Picotees, spotted, with serrated or 
fringed petals. Mr. Hogg, who has written a treatise ex- 
pressly on this flower, has given a catalogue of nearly 350 
sorts. 

Carnations are propagated by layers or pipings : the 
former method is most practiced, but with some sorts 
piping, it is said, should be preferred. Layering is per- 
formed when the plant is in full bloom. Proper shoots 
are selected ; a few of the lower leaves are then removed ; 
an incision is made a little below a suitable joint, passing 
up to the joint, but not through it ; the shoot is then peg- 
ged down and covered with some fresh soil, the tip being 
left above ground. Layers are generally found to be root- 
ed in about a month after the operation has been perform- 
ed. Pipings are little cuttings, separated at "a joint, and 
planted thickly under bell-glasses on a slight hotbed. 
They require great attention, and are precarious in their 
success, but form excellent plants. 

Numerous directions have been given respecting com- 
posts for carnations. We abridge those of Hogg, who is 
the principal authority in this matter. Take three bar- 
rows of loam, one and a half of garden mould, two of horse- 
dung, and one of coarse sand ; let these be mixed, and 
thrown into a heap, and turned over two or three times in 



278 FLOWER GARDEN. 

the winter, particularly in frosty weather. Towards the 
end of November a barrow-load of lime is added while hot, 
to aid in the decomposition of the soil, and destroy worms. 
For the varieties which are liable to sport, he recommends 
a poorer compost. 

The more robust carnations are planted out in beds or 
singly in the flower garden ; but the finer and more tender 
sorts are grown in pots of about a foot in diameter. The 
time of potting is about the end of March. When the 
flower-stems show themselves, they are furnished with rods, 
to which they are tied as they lengthen, to prevent their 
being broken by the wind or other accident. When the 
plants begin to expand their blossoms, they are removed 
to a stage calculated to exhibit their beauties. Some 
florists place ligatures around the flower-buds, in order to 
prevent irregular bursting, and even arrange the petals, by 
removing distortions with fine-pointed scissors. 

New varieties are raised from seed. The seed of the 
hardier double or semidouble sorts often afi'ords a very 
beautiful bed of flowers, and should not be neglected by 
those who have the command of extensive flower gardens. 

The Pink is considered by botanists as merely a variety 
of the preceding. It is, however, very distinct in its cha- 
racter and constant in its habits. It is one of the me- 
chanic's flowers, and is cultivated most extensively in the 
neighborhood of some of the manufacturing towns. Its 
simple elegance does credit to the taste of those who select it 
for their favorite ; and it deserves a place in the garden of 
the highest as well as the lowest in the land. Pinks are 
numerous, the growers at Paisley enumerating about three 
hundred varieties. Those are preferred which have the 
limb of the petals nearly entire, and are well marked in 
the centre with bright crimson or dark purple. 



SWEET VIOLETS. 279 

Pinks are mostly propagated by pipings in slight hot- 
beds or under hand-glasses ; and when proper attention is 
given to the due admission of air, they generally succeed. 
Occasionally rare sorts, which are scantily furnished with 
grass, are propagated by layers. This flower does not re- 
quire such elaborate composts as some others, but it likes 
fresh light soils, well manured with decayed cow- dung. 
Not more than two years of blooms should be taken from 
the same bed, and it is the practice of most florists to have 
a new bed every year. The flower-stalks are supported by 
small sticks. As in the carnation, ligatures of bast-mat- 
ting, or collars of card, are sometimes applied to the caly- 
ces of the flowers : but this practice, however it may be 
followed by those who judge according to the technical 
" criteria of a fine flower," will scarcely be adopted by any 
who have an eye for natural beauty. 

Sweet Violets^ including varieties of Viola odorata and 
the Neapolitan and Russian violets, are very desirable 
ornaments in the spring months : and the fragrance of 
their flowers is delightful when strewed on any kind of 
server in the boudoir. To have them in perfection, a 
new plantation should be made every year as soon as they 
are done flowering, generally towards the middle or end 
of May, preferring damp or cloudy weather for the opera- 
tion. 

The genus Lobelia may now be regarded as afi'ording a 
group of florists' flowers. The leading species are L. car- 
dinalis, fulgens, splendens, and syphilitica ; but there are 
several hybrids of merit. The cardinal flower, of a fine 
scarlet color, has long been a valued plant. It is propa- 
gated either by seed or by off'sets. L. fulgens, of a rich 
crimson, is a still more showy species, forming a magnifi- 
cent plant. A lobelia bed, consisting of these species and 



*2S0 rT.OWKR OArvDI^N. 

of tluM'r liybvul olVspring, hnviiiu; porluips somo of iho pro- 
oumbout spooies on tho oiitsiilo by wny o( oilging, is oal- 
oulntod to proiiuoo n lu'niitiful t>tVoot in i\w tlowor •^nrdtMi, 
coutiuuiug in bloom the >vlu»K> so!is(>n. Most of tl»(> kinds 
ntTord ot^sots voadily ; if tlioso bo tnUon otV unit ]>o(to(i in 
autmnn. in a li^lit sandy ^^oil, thoy may W kc\\{ in a oool 
franu* t>\ im- wlnlor ; or tin' i>n(iro oUl plants nniy bo put 
into birgo pots, and kopt in tlio sanu> way, tlio otVsotH be- 
ing romovod in tlu> spring and t'orming oxoolbMit pbints. 

It wonld load ns too mnoli intodotail to spoak minntoly 
o{ (\dooolaria, I'ldox, (Miolmio, ronts(onu>n, (l<inotliora, 
and otlior gonora, uliirli npproai'li tho oluiraottM- of tlorists' 
tloNvors. 'To liavo tlioni in i)orfoi'tion, thoy nhonld bo kopt 
in bods by thomsolyos; and wo aro porsuadod that, \Yort> ;i 
nu)ioty of tho oaro bosto^vod npon tlu>m wiiioh is layishod 
on florists' tlowors proporl\ so oallod, thoy wonld amply 
repay the labor (>f tlu' onltiyator. 

Tho Chinvsc Chrysandicniutu (C'hrysantluMnnm si- 
nenso), from tho poonliar onltnro whioh it now nndorgoos, 
may bo oonsidorod to bolong to this do|)arhnont of tlowors. 
It is a mitiyo of (^hina, and tlunigh intrmlnood many years 
ago, its ornamental eapabilities liavo only riH'ontly boon 
brouirht into notice. Flowering in NoyombtM- and l>oooin- 
bor, it tills np, with its numy-eolored blossoms, llu^ blank 
of a most dreary season, and atfords the nu>a.ns of doeorat- 
ini: irreon-honsos, eonservatories, and dwellitig honsos, when 
almost all otluM- nn^ans of ombellishment fail. Forty va- 
rieties wero oniunoratod by the late Mr. Sabine, in tho 
Loiuiofi Horticu/dndl Mt/noirs ; bnt it is believed that 
there are several others not yet introdueod, flowers of 
which are represented on Chinese painted screens, in a 
etitf, bnt rigidly correct style, and which we may soon ex- 
pect to receive from China. The Chrysanthomuni is 



CHINESE CHKYSANTHEMUM. 381 

hardy enough to live in the open air, but it jequires the 
shelter of a wall, and, from the lateness of its flowering, it 
is only the early varieties that even in fine seasons are 
enabled to unfold their blossoms against a south wall in 
our open borders. It is seen in its beauty only when 
grown in pots and under glass. Yearly plants are prefer- 
red. In the beginning of April, cuttings of the last year's 
shoots, about three inches lonpr, are put singly into small 
pots, filled with soil composed of one-half bog-earth or 
leaf-mould, and one-half pure sand. Their growth is ex- 
pedited at first by gentle heat. In about a month they 
are found to be rooted, and are placed in a cold frame, in 
which they are kept till the beginning of June, when they 
are put into larger pots, and set out in some airy situation. 
About this time, the tops of the plants are pinched off to 
make them busby, but no more side shoots are allowed to 
remain for flowering than the plants are likely to be able 
to support without a stake. In August, they are again 
ehifted into larger pots, filled with strong rich soil. Dur- 
ing the whole season, the pots are frequently moved to 
prevent the roots from striking through, and they are 
never plunged. Mr, Munro, of the London Horticultural 
Garden, whose method of culture we have been describing, 
recommends liquid manure to be applied from time to time 
in summer and autumn. Other cultivators, in order to 
have a greater succession of flowers, and a variety in the 
stature of the plants, strike cuttings at two seasons, in 
March and in May, and likewise propagated by layers in 
August. In the beginning of winter the plants are placed 
in a cold frame or vinery, and they are brought into a 
milder temperature as they are wanted. To produce large 
showy plants, a few of the chrysanthemums of the former 
year may be selected, and being freed from suckers, and 



282 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



having the mould shaken from their roots, may be repot- 
ted and shifted repeatedly during the summer and autumn. 



BOTANICAL STRUCTURES. 

Glazed houses for the reception and culture of exotie 
plants, though sometimes placed in connection with similar 
structures in the forcing department, are now almost uni- 
versally regarded as appendages of the flower garden. In 
the hands of architects they have assumed a great variety 
of forms, and too often has practical utility been sacrificed 
to architectural taste. We shall confine ourselves to the 
exhibition of the principle of the most important of these, 
and shall limit our remarks to the Green-house, Conserva- 
tory, and the Stove. 

The Green-house is intended to aff'ord a winter and 
partly a summer shelter to the less tender classes of exotic 
plants grown in pots. The annexed wood cut exhibits the 

Fis. 17. 




old-fashioned lean-io green-house. The general form of 
the house is that of a vinery, with pretty lofty frout 



BOTANICAL STRUCTURES. 



283 



glass. The main part of the area is occupied by a stage 
rising in steps to receive the potted plants. At some 
height above the front flue is placed a narrow horizontal 
bench of trellis work, to receive pots containing small 
plants which require to be near the light. In England, 
since the repeal of the duty on slate, this material has 
been in many cases advantageously employed in forming 
the pavement, the shelving, and stages of plant-houses. 
The interior air is warmed by one or two flues, or other 
heating apparatus, according to its volume. If a temper- 
ature of 45^ Fahr, be maintained during winter, it is auffi- 
cient. Sometimes green-houses are constructed with span- 
Fig. 18. 




284 



FLOWER GARDEN. 



roofs and a double stage; but they have a very plain 
appearance, especially those which are commonly erected 
in nursery gardens. They might be made much more orna- 
mental, with little loss of light, as in the accompanying 
figure (Fig. 18), which is designed for the south end of 
one of these span-roofed houses. The plants have thus an 
east and west aspect, or enjoy the morning and afternoon 
sun. Such houses may indeed assume any form which 
taste can suggest, provided there be a sufficiency of light, 
and the plants be not too far from the glass. The heath- 
house does not essentially differ from the green-house ; but 
for it a span-roof is decidedly preferable, and provision 
should be made for the most thorough ventilation. 

In the Conservatory^ the chief plants grow in beds of 
earth sunk in the floor. The following figure shows the 

Fis. 19. 




principle of this species of house. The beds, marked b 5, 
are fiUc 1 witli a light soil, calculated for the plants which 
are to inhabit them. This figure represents the front ele- 



Fie:. 20. 



,^flTrK ,^fT!v .^fTtK Jth^ 



BOTANICAL STRUCTTTRES. 285 

vation of the roof. Numerous varieties of this structure 
also have appeared, and some most sumptuous examples 
have been erected in the gardens of the opulent. With 
similar restrictions as in the green-house, the conservatory 
may be said to be capable of assuming any form. Orna* 
mental climbing plants are generally trained under the 
rafters, with a fine eflfect ; such as Passiflora kermisina, 
Dolichos lignosus, Iporacea coccinea, Michauxii, Horsfal- 
liae, and rubrocoerulea. 

The Plant-Stove may either be a dry-stove or a bark- 
stove^ or both combined, and is applied to the cultivation 
of tropical plants which require an elevated temperature 
The dry-stove may be considered as a green-house, having 
a larger than usual apparatus for the production of heat. 
The bark-stove is furnished somewhat in the manner of a 
pinery, with a receptacle to contain a bed of fermenting 
tanners' bark, into which the pots are plunged. In this 
country, stoves are regarded as belonging rather to the 
botanic than to the flower garden : they are extremely use- 
ful, however, in the latter ; for, besides presenting the florist 
with many unusual forms of vegetation, they afl'ord in sum- 
mer a variety of beautiful plants, which, as they come into 
bloom, may be introduced into the cooler green-house or 
conservatory, and remain there till the flowering season be 
over. 

Sometimes the various botanical structures are combined 
into one imposing assemblage, as that exhibited in Fig. 2 1 ; 
a being a palm-house, b for New Holland plants ; c large 
green-house, and the intermediate space being occupied by 
dry-stove, heath-house, and green-houses. This mode is, 
of course, suited only for places of the first order, where 
splendor is an object, where everything is on a great scale, 
and expense little regarded. In a vast proportion of cases 



286 



FLOWER GARDEN. 






BOTANICAL STRUCTURES. 287 

economy must be studied ; and in villa gardens the orna- 
mental plant-house is very often attached to the library or 
the drawing-room, or has a covered communication from 
these apartments. A good plan for such a glazed house 
may be found in the Gardener'' s Magazine, vol. vi., p. 
664. 

Green-house Plants. — This beautiful class of plants has 
become so numerous that in a sketch like the present it is 
impossible to give the names of even a limited selection. 
We may once more refer to Mr. Loudon's tables in his 
EncyclopcBdia of Horticulture, or to his still more copious 
lists in the Hortus Britannicus, from both of which works 
much valuable information on the subject may be obtained. 
The recent increase of species makes the task of selection 
at once more necessary and more difficult ; and it is one 
which, it must be confessed, is often negligently performed. 
Many of the finer sorts of woody plants are not propagated 
without difficulty, and, consequently, being high-priced in 
the nurseries, are found in requisite abundance only where 
there is great liberality on the part of the proprietor. On 
the other hand, the species which strike easily are circula- 
ted by gardeners themselves, many of whom, by their own 
interest and resources, more than half fill their green-houses 
without calling for the pecuniary aid of their employers. 
To this cause may be ascribed the perpetuation of many 
mean-looking plants, which, if hardy, would scarcely be 
tolerated in well-kept shrubberies, and certainly ought not 
to encumber the green-house. 

Light mould produced by the rotting of turf taken from 
pastures, and mixed with sand, if necessary, or enriched by 
the addition of leaf-mould, is well adapted for most green- 
house plants. Some require a mixture of peat-earth; 

others thrive only in pure sandy peat. If more specific 

11* 



288 FLOWER GARDEN. 

directions be wished, we would recommend the reader to 
have recourse to Cushing^s Exotic Gardener , or to the 
more recent work by the late Mr. Sweet, entitled The Bo- 
tanical Cultivator. The common means of propagation 
is by cuttings, inserted in earth or sand, and covered, if 
necessary, with bell-glasses. A few sorts are increased by 
grafting or layering. Nearly all may be raised from seed, 
large quantities of which are annually imported from 
abroad. It may be added many green-house plants ripen 
their seed in this country, and the collecting of such seeds 
is too often neglected. 

Many of these plants require shifting and fresh earth 
twice a year ; all of them should be repotted once a year 
at least. It is the common practice to examine their roots 
in spring or the early part of summer, and removing the 
matted fibres, to put them into larger pots if necessary. 
As room is extremely valuable in limited green -houses, it 
is desirable that the plants should be kept of a moderate 
size; and they are, therefore, rather to be under-potted 
than otherwise. Many of the free-growing plants require 
to be shifted again in August, at which period of the year 
it is considered preferable to repot those which need to bo 
disturbed only once a year. During the summer months, 
a great proportion of the inmates of the green-house are 
placed in the open air, on a spot paved with flag-stones, or 
laid with coal ashes, to prevent the entrance of earth-worms 
into the pots, and the pots selected should be well sheltered 
from high winds. Meanwhile, their place in the green- 
house may be occupied by balsams and other tender annu- 
als of a showy character. On the approach of winter, the 
plants are again placed under cover. All that is neces- 
sary in the management of the green-house in winter is to 
keep up a steady but very moderate temperature, to pre- 



BOTANICAL STRUCTURES. 289 

elude the evil effects of damp by regular airing in mild, dry 
weather, and to attend to slight watering where it may be 
needed. 

It is worthy of remark, that many species of green-house 
plants flourish much more luxuriantly, and make a finer 
appearance when in flower, if planted in the open border 
during the summer months. Cultivators should therefore 
diligently propagate such plants by cuttings in pots placed 
in hotbeds in early spring; so as to have a store for plant- 
ing out in June. 

Of late years, particular genera of plants have .come 
greatly into vogue, and it would be an omission not to no- 
tice some of them. Among the foremost may be mentioned 
Felargomum^ with its affinities. The Pelargoniums are 
of easy culture, being propagated readily by cuttings, and 
requiring only to be shifted from time to time. Young 
plants are very liable to be attacked by the aphidiou or 
green fly. The most efiectual cure is tobacco-water (as 
procured from manufacturers of tobacco, not a mere infu- 
sion of tobacco.) If the pla,nt be small, it may be dipped 
into the liquid for a minute or two, not only with impunity, 
but with great advantage, the insects being thus killed. 
Equal to these, in point of beauty of color, and certainly 
superior in elegance of form, is the family of Cape heaths, 
or Eric(B. Of this genus there are said to be 600 species, 
considerably more than the half of which exist in our col- 
lections. Many heaths may be raised from seed, which oc- 
casionally ripens in this country : the most common mode 
of propagation, however, is by cuttings, and this in some 
species is attended with difficulty. Very small cuttings 
are stuck into the purest white sand, and closely covered 
with bell-glasses. The Ericas require a peaty and sandy 

soil, and great attention in watering and giving plenty of 

13 



290 FLOWER GARDEN, 

£iir. To have them in perfoctivon, a separate house is indis 
pensable. The heath-house should be very well lighted 
easily and thoroughly ventilated^ and so planned that the 
jjlants may be near the glass ; at the same time provision 
should be made^ by means of rollers of thin canvas, to 
protect the plants from the scorching rays of the summer 
sun, which are apt to induce mildew. For further infor- 
mation, we may refer to the excellent little treatise of Mr, 
M'Nab, of the Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, whose success 
iu this department is quite unrivaled, and in whose hands. 
Cape heaths attain a splendor which, we believe, they nevei 
attain in the environ?? of Table Mountain itselt^ The 
Jjlpacrid(£ are a lovely tribe from New Holland, which 
fchould be cultivated along with the Cape heaths ; particur- 
larly Epacris impressa, nivalis, variabilis, and campanu- 
lata. 

List of fi'ee-blooining Ha7'dy Heaths y in their cn'der of 
Jloivering from January to December, {^Communi- 
cated by Mr. J. McNab.) 

Erica herbacea. Erica Mackayana. 

— carnea. ramulosa. 

mediterranea hybernica. ciliaris^ 

intermedia. stricta. 

stricta. Calluna vulgaris, white, pink, reef, 

nana. and double. 



arborea. Erica cinerea, varieties. 

australis. vagams. 

nana. multiflora carnea. 



tetralix, varieties. ■ rubra. 

The superb genus Camellia is the only other that shall 
here be noticed. To the elegance of the finest evergreen^ 
the Camellia Japonica unites the beauty of the fairest rose. 
The Camellia, though a native of Japan, is not particularly 
tender, but, from some peculiarities in its constitution, its 



CONSERVATORY PLANTS. 291 

culture requires a considerable degree of attention and 
care. Cuttings of the single red variety strike freely, and 
upon these, as stocks, the finer sorts are grafted by inarch- 
ing or side-grafting. The soil generally employed is a 
mixture of peat and light loam. Care must be taken not 
to allow the roots to become matted in the pots. The 
young plants should be shifted at least once a year ; when 
old, and in large tubs, shifting once in two years will be 
sufficient. It is found beneficial to apply a certain in- 
creased degree of heat while the plants are growing, and 
till they form flower-buds for the following season. To 
have Camellias in perfection, a house with a span-roof 
should be appropriated for their reception. There are 
some splendid collections of this noble j)lant, in appropriate 
houses, in the nursery gardens in the neighborhood of Lon- 
don, particularly at Hackney, Yauxhall, and Clapton. 

Conservatory Plants. — These are composed of a selec- 
tion from the numerous inmates of the green-house. They 
should be naturally of an elegant form, capable in general 
of sustaining themselves without the support of stakes, and 
somewhat hardy in their constitution. Many of the Aus- 
tralian plants, particularly the Acacias and Banksias, are 
well adapted for this purpose. The ascending Proteas of 
the Cape, Clethra arbora of Madeira, and many others of 
a similar habit, may likewise take their place in this de- 
partment. To these may be added a few of the hardier 
Heaths and Camellias, together with the broad-leaved 
Myrtle, double-flowering Pomegranate, Camphor- laurel. 
Tea-tree, and some of the varieties of the magnificent 
Rhoddodendron arboreum. Any wall in the interior of the 
house may be furnished with a trellis, and covered with 
such climbing plants as Lonicera Japonica, Maurandia 
semperflorens, and Barclayana, and the trailing Pelargo- 



292 FLOWER GARDEN. 

niums. In the management of the conservatory, abundant 
air should be admitted, and care should be taken not to 
allow the plants to become draivn^ or too tall and spindle- 
formed by overcrowding. They should be so pruned as to 
keep them comparatively short and bushy ; but after all 
pains have been taken, the time at length arrives when 
they either disfigure themselves by pressing against the 
roof-glass, or must submit to the no less distorting process 
of a violent amputation. To meet such exigencies, it is re- 
commended that, wherever there is also a green-house, a 
few plants should be kept in training for the conservatory, 
and substituted in the room of any that, from excess of 
growth, become unmanageable. After all, the fourth, fifth, 
and sixth summers of the conservatory will always be the 
finest ; and when a longer series of years have gone by, and 
the plants have outgrown the space allotted to them, per- 
haps the best thing that can be done is to change the whole 
interior of the house, plants, earth, and all. If this opera- 
tion be anticipated, and for a year or two prepared for, 
sufficiently large plants may be had in readiness, and the 
appearance of a well-furnished house be again pretty well 
attained in a single season. It is scarcely necessary to add, 
that the neatness which is so desirable everywhere in the 
flower garden is absolutely indispensable in the conserva- 
tory. 

Stove Plants. — There are many beautiful plants, natives 
of tropical regions, which are cultivated in our stores, but 
which, owing to the high temperature they require, can be 
only occasionally visited with pleasure. This may account 
for the fact that ornamental plant-stoves are seldom found 
but in first-rate gardens, even where the price of fuel is 
inconsiderable. It is unnecessary to be minute respecting 
the culture of dry-stove plants, it being precisely that of 



STOVE PLANTS. 293 

green-house plants, differing only in the increased degree 
of heat. Many dry-stove plants are succulent, such as 
those belonging to the genera Cactus, Aloe, and Mesembry- 
anthemum. These require rather an arid soil, composed 
of a little light loam mixed with lime-rubbish or shivers. 
One of the most successful growers of the cactus tribe was 
the late Mr. Walter Henderson at Woodhall. The com- 
post which he employed consisted of 1 part rotted dung, 1 
rotted leaves, 1 heath mould, 11-2 loam, and 1 coarse 
sand, all well mixed together ; and the pot was nearly one- 
third filled with shreds, so as to form an effectual drain. 
Some of the species, such as Cactus speciosus and Cereus 
flagelliformis, are improved, and made to flower more freely, 
by being kept growing vigorously in an airy green-house 
during the summer months. The bark-stove plants thrive 
best in a confined moist atmosphere, possessing something 
of the tepid vapor peculiar to the equatorial climes. In 
order to furnish bottom-heat, a bark pit is prepared, 
into which the pots or tubs are sunk ; and the air is heated 
by flues, by steam, or, what is better, by a circulation of 
hot water. Along the front glass, and on the back wall, 
are shelves, on which pots may be arranged, according as 
the plants require light or shade. On the front shelves are 
occasionally placed shallow troughs filled with sphagnum, 
and fragments of peat-moss or decayed wood, for the recep- 
tion of air plants and other epiphytes. Small cisterns, too, 
are introduced to contain tender aquatics. Along the raf- 
ters some of the more elegant species of Passiflora, such as 
P. quadrangularis, may be trained ; and through the 
branches of some of the woody plants, Cuscuta Chilensis, 
Tropaeolum tricolorum and Jarattii, and other tender 
climbers, may be allowed to twine themselves. In the pit 
may be plunged some of the Palms, those princes of plants, 



294 FLOWER GARDEN. 

particularly the Chinese Plaintain, Musa Cavendishii, 
which is of comparatively humble growth, and often yields 
its fruit when not exceedins; six feet in hei'^ht. In short, 
there is no end of those numerous tribes, " the potent sons 
of moisture and of heat," with which the teeming regions 
of the equator are filled ; and no suite of stoves in this 
country, however extensive, can come up to the wishes of 
the botanist. The management of this department of flori- 
culture is laborious and trying to the constitution of the 
operative gardener. A strong heat both in the bark-bed 
and in the atmosphere of the house must be maintained ; 
the air must be kept charged with vapor, and the plants 
require frequent shifting and repotting. For more detailed 
information as to the management of particular stove 
plants, we msij again refer to Gushing, who, in his Exotic 
Gar dene?' ^ has treated this subject with a skill and fulness 
that have not been surpassed by any of his successors. 

To the precautions recommended for protecting plants 
placed under glass during the American winter, it is neces- 
sary to add that much greater care is requisite in guarding 
against the effects of extreme cold and sudden variations 
on the western than on the eastern side of the Atlantic. 
The thermometer in the green-house should never be 
allowed to descend below forty degrees in the absence of 
the sun ; and even at that temperature plants will in very 
clear cold weather, often part with so much of their warmth 
through radiation as to be nipped by frost. But, in clos- 
ing out the cold external air, the vital importance of venti- 
lation to plants must not be forgotten, and fresh air should 
be cautiously admitted on all occasions. When the tem- 
perature is high, plants require more wsftering than when 
the thermometer is low. In very cold spells, much moist- 
ure invites frost. Whenever the weather is sufficiently 



TROPICAL ORCHIDACE^. 295 

mild, the plants should be allowed the full benefit of the 
oj)en air. 

Tropical Orchidacece. — Till within the last few years, 
the cultivation of epidendrous plants was deemed too diffi- 
cult to be attempted in private establishments, and was 
resigned to Koyal Gardens. A great revolution in this 
respect has since taken place ; epiphytes being now exten- 
sively cultivated. The collection of such plants in the 
principal nursery gardens near London is vast, particularly 
at those of Loddiges, Hackney — Rollisons, Tooting — 
Knight, Chelsea — and Low, Clapton. Some amateur cul- 
tivators eminently excel in them ; such as the Duke of 
Devonshire at Chatsworth, where Mr. Paxton presides; 
Earl Fitzwilliam at Wentworth, where Mr. Cooper is gar- 
dener ; Mr. Bateman at Knypersley, and Mr. Rucker at 
Wandsworth. More than 1000 species of epiphytes are 
now in cultivation. They are all tropical productions, and, 
of course, need stove-heat in this country ; but those from 
the East Indies require a higher temperature and more hu- 
mid atmosphere than those from South America. In Scot- 
land, the cultivation of tropical epiphytes is carried to 
great perfection at the Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh and 
Glasgow, and also at the Experimental Garden of the Cal- 
edonian Horticultural Society, Edinburgh ; and the prac- 
tices followed in these establishments are here recommend- 
ed. In some private gardens, likewise, such epiphytes are 
grown with great success ; particularly at Dalkeith Parkj 
under Mr. Mackintosh, and Bothwell Castle, under Mr. 
TurnbuU. It has nov/ been fully ascertained by exten- 
sive experience, that their cultivation is not nearly so diffi- 
cult as was formerly supposed. When pots or shallow pans 
are used, they should be well furnished at bottom with 
shivers, or broken bricks or tiles, to drain off superfluous 



296 FLOWER GARDEN. 

moisture, and then filled up with oblong pieces of spongy 
peat, between two and three inches in length, and more 
than an inch in breadth and depth. Chips of rotten sticks^ 
and tufts of decayed hypnum or sphagnum, and the mix- 
ture of fibrous roots which may be grubbed up in any 
wood having a light or sandy soil, may often be used with 
advantage, for the growth of Dendrobiuras, and for all 
wicker baskets suspended by wires from the rafters^ where 
peat would be apt to get too dry and hard. Some kinds are 
the better for being fostered with the bottom-heat of a tan- 
bed. The roots are generally thrown out near the surface: 
a principal point in the culture consists in encouraging the 
development of these ; the campost of peat and other sub- 
stances should therefore be raised several inches above the 
margin of the pot, so that the superficial roots may have 
free scope. It is not necessary that the peat used should 
be dried : in general it is found to answer best when it is 
rather soft and spongy. When the peat is dry, it is diffi- 
cult to get wooden-pegs to penetrate without breaking the 
peat, particularly for Stanhopeas, or plants requiring to be 
piled high up. The plants may be piled on the peat from 
six to eighteen inches, according to the size of the plant, 
and of the pot used. Stanhopeas are found to flower best 
when planted on rough peat, a considerable height above 
the edge of the pots or flats used, so as to allow the flowers 
to come out from the crevices of the peat. They are alsa 
cultivated successfully in baskets of copper-wire, made 
with the work very open, and filled with sphagnum moss. 
The former method is particularly adapted far a warm, dry 
atmosphere ; and the latter for a warm, moist atmosphere 
In wire-baskets, likewise, amongst rough peat,, the various 
species of Epiphyllum, with Drymonia punctata and Brug-^ 
mansia floribunda, may be successfully cultivated. 



TROPICAL ORCHIDADEiE. 297 

The following epiphytes are easily cultivated in a vinery 
or a pine-pit, in pots filled with pieces of peat : Catasetum 
tridentatum, floribundum ; Brassia maculata ; Oncidium 
flexuosum, pulvinatum ; Gongora atro-purpurea ; Cattleya 
intermedia, Forbesii, labiata, crispa; Zygopetalon Mackayi ; 
Stanhopea insignis, grandiflora, oculata, tigrina,Devoniana; 
Crytopodium Andersonii ; Acropera Loddigesii. The fol- 
lowing kinds are well adapted for being placed in pots 
filled with hypnum or sphagnum, and suspended from the 
rafters; Dendrobium Pierardi, cucuUatum, speciosum; 
Oncidium bifolium, papilio, junceum ; Fernandesia ele- 
gans ; Aeranthes grandiflora ; Vanda teres, multiflora ; 
Broughtonia sanguinea ; Rodriguesia secunda. Some of 
the larger species grow best in rough, black peat-soil, and 
flower freely under ordinary treatment in a stove ; such as 
Phajus maculatus ; Calanthe veratrifolia ; Bletia macu- 
lata ; Peristeria elata; Cymbidium siense, aloefolium, en- 
sifolium. Cypripedium insigne, and venustum. The Ya- 
nilla planifolia may be cultivated in the same way ; and it 
has been found, that if the retinaculum be carefully re- 
moved from the top of the stigma, and the anther turned 
down to the stigma, the very fragrant fruit of this plant 
may be produced in our stoves. 

A principal object should be to imitate, in some measure, 
the native climate of these orchidaceae; to give them a 
dry or hot season, a rainy or watering period, and a cold 
or winter season. Generally speaking, the dry season may 
include May, June, and July ; the watering period, August, 
September, and October ; and the cold season the rest of 
the year. 

The propagation of these epiphytes is not in general dif- 
ficult. Many sorts form pseudo-bulbs, by means of which 

they are readily multiplied. In others, if the rhizoma or 

13* 



298 FORCING GARDEN 

root-stock be divided, with a piece of stem adhering, there 
is little risk of failure. These plants come into flower at 
all seasons of the year. The blossoms of many are beau- 
tiful, and of the most curious structure ; and some are 
fragrant. 

THE FORCINO GARDEN 

is only a department, but an important one, of the Fruit 
Grarden. The term forci?ig is strictly applicable only to 
those artificial processes by which vegetation is iu a con- 
siderable degree accelerated ; but in common language it 
has been applied to all those operations in which glazed 
frames or houses are concerned, though they may be em- 
ployed merely in aiding the common progress of nature, or 
in counteracting the great vicissitudes of our climate. For 
the sake of convenience, we shall adopt the term in its 
broadest acceptation. After some preliminary observa- 
tions, wo shall first treat of the structures, and then of the 
fruits and vegetables which are cultivated in them. 

The principal object of hot-houses, and other structures 
of a sim-ilar nature, is to produce an artificial temperature 
and humidity of the atmosphere, which shall resemble, as 
nearly as possible, the climate in which the fruits or plants 
naturally flourish. A command of heat is obviously a pri- 
mary requisite. A regulated admission of air, and the pre- 
sence of a certain degree of moisture, are, in the next place, 
necessary. Lastly, without the free access of light, plants 
become blanched, or are destroyed by the moisture which 
they generate. These, then, are the conditions which limit 
the form of hot-houses; when these are attained, any form 
may be adopted which invention can devise, or wealth exe- 
cute ; but every true lover of the art will aim at simpli- 



ARTIFICIAL HEAT. 209 

City, and will deprecate useless expenditure, so often ex- 
hibited in this department, as injurious to the character as 
well as to the progress of horticulture. 

Artificial Heat. — Forcing-houses arc heated in various 
ways ; by means ^i fines conveying smoke and heated air; 
by pifes conducting steam or hot water ; by so construct- 
ing the glazed house as to increase the calorific action of 
the sun's rays ; and sometimes by the heat generated in 
the course of the fermentation of vegetable substances. 

Fluea are generally constructed of common brick, though 
occasionally fire-brick is employed in the neck^ or that part 
of the flue immediately adjoining the furnace. The bricks 
in the side walls are placed on their edges, and the top 
covering is of tile an inch and a half in thickness. In dis- 
tricts where sandstone flag abounds, the covers are often 
formed of that material. Horticultural writers have recom- 
mended that flues should be about eighteen inches deep, and 
of nearly equal breadth; but to obtain the greatest quantity 
of heat, it clearly appears, from the experiments of Mr. 
Stevenson {Cal. Hart. Mem.^ i. 143,) that, where possible, 
the breadth should be nearly double the depth. It is ad- 
vantageous to detach flues as much as possible from the 
walls of the building which encloses them, in order that 
the heat may be communicated to the air only. Formerly 
they were often built, sometimes one above another, with 
only one side exposed, a practice which, as it occasioned 
great waste of heat from conduction, has been generally 
abandoned. When it is necessary to lead one flue above 
another, or to make it return upon itself, spaces should be 
left between them, to allow the free passage of caloric from 
every side. 

With a view to economy of fuel, can-flues and cast-iron 
cylinders have been proposed, and occasionally adopted, 



oOO FORCING GARDEN. 

but their use lias not hitherto become general. The ar- 
rangement of the flues must depend upon the nature of the 
house ; it may, however, be remarked generally, that, as 
heated air has a tendency to ascend, they should be placed 
as near as can conveniently be done to the front of the 
house, where, of course,, the sloping roof is lowest. It is 
likewise important that the flue should be introduced, and 
exert its greatest influence, at that point of the structure 
which is most exposed to any refrigerating cause. 

The furnace is most properly situate behind the house, 
and is generally covered by a shed. For the most part it 
is constructed so that the upper part of its arch shall be on 
a level with the top of the flue ; but where a considerable 
heat is required, as in pine-apple stoves, it is found pre- 
ferable to sink the furnace, in order to produce a neck or 
rise of about a foot and a half in hcighth, which moderates 
the intensity of the heat on its first entrance, and, by in- 
creasing the draught, causes the fire to burn freely. The 
size of the furnace must be regulated by the kind of fuel 
employed. Where coke or charcoal is used, it may be 
about eighteen inches square ; but where small coal, turf, 
or peat is to be burned, it should be two feet, or even two 
and a half square, by two feet in height. A large furnace 
insures the long continuance of the fire, a fact which in 
practice has received too little attentiou. To resist the 
efiects of heat, the interior should be lined with fire-brick. 
The roof should be strongly arched. The door may be 
about a foot square, and when it is double, as it ought al- 
ways to be, the outer half should be a little larger than 
the inner. The grate is of the same breadth as the door, 
and may extend about two-thirds of the length of the fur- 
nace. The ash-pit is equally wide, and from fifteen to 
eighteen inches deep ; it is furnished with a ventilator in 



ARTIFICIAL HEAT. 



301 



the door to regulate the admissioii of air. In practice the 
furnace, and especially the ash-pit, should be kept clear of 
ashes; as by this means, coals of an inferior quality may 
be burnt with ease. 

The following figure (Fig. 22) represents a longitudinal 
section of the common garden furnace. It is surrounded 
by a double wall to prevent the escape of heat. 

Fig. 22. 




"IT 



' Mr. Witty has invented a furnace, which is possessed 
of valuable qualities. A vertical section of it is given in 

Fig. 23. 




Fig. 23. The fuel is supplied by the door at a, and is 
pressed down the inclined plane towards the grate c, by an 



302 FORCING GARDEN. 

apparatus placed at the head of it ; but this method, being 
complicated, has given way to several modifications, in 
■which the door a has been found the most useful, the fuel 
being pressed forward by the common tools used for feed- 
ing furnaces : b is the door for regulating the fuel on the 
grate c. In its progress, the whole surface of the coal 
along the inclined plane is constantly kept in a state of 
inflammation, the flame having naturally a tendency to burn 
upwards. In this way, the greater part of the fresh coal 
is carbonized, that is, the gas is separated from it and in- 
flamed, leaving only coke. The stroug combustion of the 
coke at the grate produces heat enough to carbonize the 
coal, and air enough to inflame the gas. This furnace, 
therefore, not only consumes most of the smoke, but eff'ects 
a' considerable saving of fuel. 

Stemn. — Of late years steam has been applied with suc- 
cess to the production of an artificial climate in glazed 
houses. It is more genial than fire-heat from flues, being 
less contaminated, and more equable and pliant in its 
distribution. In steam hot-houses, the plants can scarcely 
ever be liable to sufi"er from scorching heat ; the air con- 
tinues pure and untainted, and persons visiting the house 
are much less liable to be annoyed by the smell of smoke 
and soot. It is neater in all its arrangements within doors 
and also without, for it precludes the necessity of more 
than one furnace, and one chimney-top, and in a great mea- 
sure removes the unseemliness of the heaps of coals and 
ashes with which common furnaces are usually surrounded. 
In districts where coals are dear, the saving of fuel is an 
object ; and it has been found that seven bushels of coal 
go as far in keeping up steam heat as ten bushels do in 
maintaining an equal temperature in the ordinary way. 
By merely opening a valve, the house may at any time be 



STEAM. -iO':} 

tilitoAiiiiUy slcrj/m^:d, ttiat in, filled with tljo hteam or vapor, 
and tho warm inoiHturc thuH applied to the plants is ob- 
served to conlrihiite remarkably to their health and vigor. 
To eounterbalanee these advantages, we are not aware of 
any defects, except such as may arise from the greater com- 
plexity of the appanitus, or at leant itf; liabiliVy to dinre- 
pair aijd accider;t. 

Steam is generated in a cant or wrought iron boiler, of 
U.U (>\)\(,]:'^ form, furnished witjj safety-valves, and heated 
by a smoke-consumirig furnace. As in the common stearn- 
engine, the boiler is supplied from a cistern above, and is 
made to regulate itself by a simple contrivance. In the 
feed-head is a valve, which is opened by the sinking of a 
float, which descends in proportion as the water is dissi- 
pated in steam ; and, being balanced by a weight, whenever 
a sufficient quantity of water is admitted, rises again, and 
shuts the valve. As steam may be conveyed, without ma- 
terially impairing its calorific powers, to the distance of 
several thousand feet, one boiler is sufficient for heating all 
the glazed houses which are ever erected together ; but a 
second is generally kept in readiness, to act as an auxiliary 
in case of accident, or in very severe weather. H team is 
conducted from the boiler in a single main pipe, or in two 
parallel pipes, which, according to Mr. Tredgold, may be 
0/1 ly one inch in bore. The divarications of the pipes into 
particulai- Iiouhch are arranged somewhat in tljc niatmer of 
flues, and, indeed, are sometimes placed within these, or 
on them, when they already exist. These interior pipes 
arc from three to six inches in diameter, in order to aflPord 
a greater radiating surface, and are supplied with sets of 
valves, to admit, regulate, or exclude the heated vapor, 
according to circumstances. 

The most perfect and extensive samples of steam ap- 



304 



FORCING GARDEN. 



paratus exist at Syou House, tlio princely seat of the Duke 
of Northumberland, near ]>ronti\)rd, and in the nursery 
garden of Messrs. Loddiges at Haokney. At the latter 
place, glazed houses, to the exteut of almost a thousand 
feet iu length, and forming three sides of a square, arc 
heated solely by steam from one boiler. The boiler is of 
an oblong shape, measuring eleven feet by four, and is 
formed of malleable iron. In certain narrow houses in- 
tended by Messrs. Loddiges for green-house plants, a sin- 
gle steam-pipe is found sufficient. In other houses of con- 
siderable height and breadth, or where a higher tempera- 
ture is required, as in the palm-house, the steam-flue is 
made to describe two or three turns. 

Water, contained in large vessels or pipes, is sometimes 
heated by steam, and so made the medium of conveying 
caloric to the atmosphere of glazed houses. The annexed 
figure represents an example of this arrangement. In the 

Fig. 21. 




instance here given, a small steam-tube, one inch in 
diameter, enters a water-pipe eight inches in diameter, 
and twenty-eight feet long, wholly within the forcing- 
bouse ; it passes into the large pipe at the centre, and 
after traversing its whole length and returning, it issues 
out immediately below the point at which it entered. It 
then forms a siphon, by which the condensed water is con- 



STEAM. 



rjo; 



veyed away. A more detailed deHcription may be found 
in the Ijjndon JJorticuUural Transactional vol. iii. 

Steam is sometimes employed to furnish bottom heat. 
In the garden of Mr. Sturge, near Batli, a shallow cistern 
of water is heated by a steam-pipe, in the manner exhibit- 
ed the two following figures. The cistern is covered with 
pavement, over which is a bed of small stones, then ashes 
or sand, into which the pots containing plants are to ha 
plunged. 

Fig. 25. 



F "1 




Steam has also been employed to heat flues. The fol- 
lowing figure represents a side view and section of a flue 
filled with small stones or broken bricks, and heated by 

Fig. 26. 



M 







TL 



means of a small steam-pipe passing along the lower part 



306 



FORCING GART^EN. 



of the flue. Along the upper side of this pipe are a num- 
ber of small holes, becoming more frequent towards the 
farther end, to allow the escape of steam : there are, be- 
sides, a few perforations in the under side, to clear away 
condensed water. The flue has a slight inclination to that 
end of the house from which the water can be more easily 
drained. 

Similar expedients were long ago employed in the heat- 
ing of forcing-pits, by the late Mr. John Hay, of Edin- 
burgh, a garden architect of great judgment and experi- 
ence. Fig. 27 represents a recent variety of this mode of 

Fig. 27. 





supplying surface and bottom heat, by discharging steam 
into flues and chambers filled with stones. The steam is 
admitted by small pipes running along the central pit, in 
channels about four inches deep, and of the same width. 
These channels are crossed by others at right angles ; and 
at the points of intersection the steam is permitted to 
escape by two small holes, one on each side of the pipe. 



HOT WATER. 



307 



The pits must have a water-tight paved bottom, with a de- 
clivity of one inch in ten feet. The sides and covers of the 
channels are loosely jointed, and are permeable by the 
steam. Stop-cocks are attached to the pipes, so that the 
supply of vapor can be adjusted. Another mode of adapt- 
ing steam to the production of bottom heat may be seen 
in Mr. Maemurtrie's Pine-Pit, to be afterwards described. 

Hot Water. — More recently the circulation of hot water 
in iron pipes or vessels has been successfully employed in 
producing artificial warmth. The temperature derived 
from this source has all the properties of steam-heat, with, 
the followino; additional advantages : it is more steady, be- 
ing less affected by changes of temperature in the open air 
than in houses heated by fire-flues, or even by steam-pipes ; 
it is not liable to interruption by the bursting of vessels, 
and it is more lasting, as water does not cool so rapidly as 
aqueous vapor. 

The following explanation of the principle of the hot- 
water apparatus is given by the late Mr. Tredgold, in an 
excellent paper in the Lond. Hort. Trans.., vol. vii. " We 
may select the simple case of two vessels placed on a hori- 

Fig. 28. 




zontal plane, with two pipes to connect them ; the vessels 
beinir open at top, and the one pipe connecting the lower 



30S 



ViMUMNi; CJAfiPKN, 



parts of the vossols, and tlio other the upper parts. It' the 
vessels and pipes be tilled with water, and heat be applied 
to the vessel A, the etVeet of heat will be to expand the 
water in the vessel A; and its surfaee will, in oonsoqueneo, 
rise to a higher level, a a, the former general level being 
f) b. The density of the Hiiid in the vessel A \vill also de- 
erease, in eonseipienee of its expansion ; but as soon as the 
column, (• (/, of tluid above the centre of the upper pipe is 
of greater weight than the eoUnnn, / <', above that eentre, 
motion will t'oninienee along the up{>er piju^ (vowx A to l>, 
and the ehange this motion produet^s in the equilibrium of 
the fluid will eause a eorresponding motii>n in the lower 
pipe from H to A ; and in short, the motion will obviously 
continue till the temperature be nearly the same in both 
vessels; or if water be made to boil in A, it may also bo 
boiling hot in B, because ebullition in A will assist the 
motion/' 

The figure referred to in the preceding quotation, repre- 
senting the common tank boiler surrounded by a Hue witii 
a cistern at the extremity of the pipes, exhibits the form 
in which the apparatus w^as first erected ; but as in this 

Fig. 29. 







I "V. 


— i>ip«na» 




arrangement the process of heating was very slow, many 



HOT WATER. 



309 



changCB have been made ; the cistern has generally been 
abandoned) and boilers of various configurations have been 
adopted. Fig. 29 is a longitudinal section, and the foUow- 



Fig. 30. 




ing is a transverse section of a Sued tank boiler, in which 
the surface exposed to the heat being increased, the effect 
required is accelerated, and at the same time a considera- 
ble saving of fuel is eifected. 

The conical boiler, invented by John Rogers, Esquire, 
of Sevenoaks, Kent, is formed of two truncated concentric 
ones, with a space of two or three inches between them for 
the water, the furnace being in the inner cone, and the fuel 
supplied from the to^. 

Mr. Rogers' boiler was originally surrounded with brick- 
work, but several modifications and improvements of it have 
been introduced ; in some cases it has been fitted up in a 
sheet-iron case, like Arnot's stove. In the following figure, 
the boiler is placed in a cast-iron stand, with ground circular 
furnace, and register ash-pit doors— a being the furnace, b 
the boiler, c flow and returning pipes, d the furnace door, e 
smoke pipe to the vent, / ash-pit, f^ branders, h hole for 
cleaning the furnace. The best kinds of fuel for this fur- 
nace are coke, ^as-cinders, and anthracite ; but common 



310 



rORClNG GARDEN. 



coal which docs not calcc very much has been found to be 
■well adapted for the purpose, as it is soou formed into coke. 



Fi-. 31. 




The following is the rationale of the process of the heat- 
ing of this boiler, as given by Mr. llogers in the volume 
of the Gardener's Magazi)ic for 1 840 : — 

" As fuel cannot be consumed without air, if a furnace 
be constructed of considerable depth, and filled with fuel, 
and air be admitted only at the bottom, that fuel alone is 
consumed which lies immediately on the bars, and first re- 
ceives the draught of air. Tlie fuel above, provided it 
transmits the air, becomes red-hot, or nearly so, but does 
not consume until that below it is destroyed. In this man- 
ner, one of these conical furnaces being lighted and filled 
with fuel, that portion in the upper part of the furnace, 
which cannot burn, absorbs the heat of the burning fuel 
below, and radiates or transmits it to the water on every 
side. So perfect is this absorption of heat that for several 
hours after the furnace has been filled up with cinders, 
thoug]\ there may be a fierce fire below, little or no heat 
escapes by the chimney — the whole being taken up by tlie 
surrounding water. The economy, therefore, of fuel in 
such an apparatus is very great. It is evident that excess 



HOT WATER. 



311 



of draught must be carefully guarded against, so much 
ouly being allowed as will consume the fuel steadily, which 
is easily learned by experience. The necessity, also, of 
keeping the aperture in front close, so that air enters the 
furnace only through the ash-pit, is hence evident. The 
water (as may be observed in Fig. 31) is in close and im- 
mediate contact with the red-hot fuel on all sides, no black 
smoking coals intervening, as in most kinds of boilers ; 
hence the great power in proportion to size." 

TLe economy of fuel in these boilers is not their prin- 
cipal advantage ; but their great recommendation is a long- 
continued and steady heat. When properly managed, they 

Fig. 32. 




may be depended on for preserving the heat for from fifteen 
to twenty hours. They have been successfully applied to 
all descriptions of hot-houses, but for pits they are emi- 
nently useful, from the small space they occupy ; and when 
fired with coke, gas-cinders, or anthracite, they give off 
very little smoke. 

It is unnecessary to describe all the numerous modi ca- 



312 FORCING GARDEN. 

tions of this apparatus ; but it may be proper to direct the 
attention of the reader to the close boiler represented in 
Fig. 32, in which is shown how the circulation may be 
conducted over a door or other obstacle. In this case the 
upper pipe must not ascend and descend twice : air-tubes 
ought also to be placed in the boiler, and on the highest 
part of the pipes ; and the whole must be made consider- 
ably stronger than on common occasions. The annexed 
figure will give an idea of an isometrical elevation of a 

Fig. 33. 




hot-water apparatus for a vinery thirty feet long by eleven 
wide. A is the boiler, as in the figure on p. 308 ; B the 
upper or delivering pipe ; C the principal part of the upper 
pipe, of a flat form, presenting a greater radiating surface^ 
in proportion to the quantity of heat ; J) the descending 
limb ; E the returning pipe, of a cylindrical form. 

Mr. Fowler has employed the siphon as a part of the 
hot-water apparatus ; and in his tract on the Thermo- 
siphon^ as he calls it, has shown how its various modifica- 
tions may be employed in warming hot walls, as well as in 
heating glazed houses. The following statement of the 
principle is given in the Gardenerh Magazine^ vol. v. 
" Any one may prove that hot water will circulate in a 



HOT WATER. 



313 



Fig. 34 



siplioD, by taking a piece of lead pipe, say of half an inch 
bore, and four or five feet long, bending it like a siphon, 
but one leg a good deal more bent than the other, in order 
•^to give the descending water time and space for giving out 
its heat ; and then, filling this tube with water, and placing 
one hand on each end to retain it full, immerse the extre- 
mities in a pot of water over a fire, as represented in the 
annexed diagram. Supposing the water of 
a uniform temperature in both legs of the 
siphon, no circulation would take place ; but 
supposing it to cool sooner in the long leg 
a than in the short leg 5, then the equilibri- 
um would be destroyed, and the water in 
the long leg a would descend, and draw up 
Water through the short leg h ; and this cir- 
culation would continue as long as the water 
c was maintained at a temperature above 
that of the surrounding atmosphere," 

Mr. Kewley's adaptation of the siphon is one of the 
simplest and most efl&cient that has been proposed. In 
Fig. 35, ace are the two legs of a siphon, through the 
upper of which the heated water ascends, and by the lower 
descends. Immediately over the descending bend, a pipe 
connected with an air-pump is inserted, in order to fill the 
pipes, or remove the air which collects in the superior 
limb. Instead of the air-pump, a funnel with air-tight 

Fig. 36. 

a o 





14 



314 FORCING GARDEN. 

valves is sometimes employed. This mode of circulation 
has been adopted in some of the principal nursery gardens 
near London. 

Mr. Charles H. J. Smith, garden architect, in a com- 
munication to the Scottish Horticultural Society, has 
clearly shown that the system of heating by the circula- 
tion of hot-water in metallic pipes is easily applicable, not 
only to any glazed house constructed with flues, but to 
any select* portion of an existing fruit- wall, although al- 
ready clothed with peach, vine, or fig-trees. In the last 
case, a small furnace and boiler are, of course, placed at 
the back of the wall ; the expanding water rises to a cis- 
tern near the top of the wall ; horizontal pipes, making 
three or four turns, are inserted into the south front of the 
wall (which is an easy operation, as the wall is usually 
faced with brick) ; and through these the water circulates; 
to the great increase of the temperature of the air sur- 
rounding the tree. The operation should be accomplished 
late in the autumn \ the tree being carefully unnailed, bent 
forward, and secured from injury or breaking, and as care- 
fully replaced. 

Mr. A. Perkins has constructed an apparatus of small 
tubes hermetically sealed, in which water circulates, of a 
temperature varying from 300^^ to 400° Fahrenheit. The 
contrivance is very ingenious, and has been pretty exten- 
sively employed at London and Edinburghy in heating- 
public offices and warerooms ; but as the opinions of hor- 
ticulturists respecting its merits, as applicable to the forc- 
ing garden, are still divided, and as it has not as yet stood 
the test of much experience, it may be sufficient to give it 
this cursory notice. For further information, however^ 
we may refer to the Gardener'' s Magazine^ vols. viii. 
and ix. 



Hot water. 315 

Mr. Corbett, foreman at Pontey's nursery garden, Ply- 
mouth, introduced a mode of employing hot water as a 
means of heating. From a common boiler proceeds an up- 
right tube, and this tube leads to a continued series of 
open gutters. Heat being applied to the boiler, the water 
rises in the tube and flows forward in the gutters, giving 
out moisture in proportion to the degree of heat. As the 
water cools or becomes more dense or heavy, it gradually 
falls back to the bottom of the boiler. 

Mr. Rendle, of Union Road Nursery, Plymouth, has 
also introduced a mode of heating, in which he employs 
tanks instead of pipes, or gutters, for both surface and bot- 
tom heat. These tanks are formed of wood, brick, stone, or 
cast iron. When formed of wood, they require to be made 
of good sound plank, not less than two inches thick, pro- 
perly jointed, and are usually covered with slates. If they 
are formed of stone or brick, the insides require a thick 
coating of Roman cement, and for covers, stone, slate, or 
brick pavement is employed. The cast iron tanks have 
corners of the same materials. 

When only one tank is fitted up in a house or pit, a 
division is made along the centre, leaving an opening at the 
end farthest from the boiler, for the water to flow through, 
the hot water or flow pipe from the boiler being fixed to 
the end of the tank on one side of the division, and the 
cold water of return pipe to the boiler to the end, on the 
opposite side of the division. When two tanks are used, 
they are joined to the flow and return pipes respectively, 
and united at the extreme ends. In pits, the tanks may 
be carried round the sides and ends of the pit, with a divi- 
sion between the flow and return pipes. 

The principal advantage of the application of this mode 
of heating consists in the production of bottom heat. 



316 FOIUMNd (JARDEN. 

Propiu* provision ought, llo^Yevcr, to bo mado for prevent- 
ing more of the stoani or vupor rising from the hot water 
(into the house) than what is requisite ; for, if this precau- 
tion hi' not ach)ptoil, there will he too nnu'ii damp in the 
winter season for the proper growth or preservation of tho 
plants.* 

To mention ///(• rdi/s of t)ir sini amongst the sourees of 
artifieial heat may exeite a smile ; yet it happens that, 
from the stagnation of air, the reileetion of liiiht from 
walls, ami other eircumsianet's, tlu^y often ])ro(liUH:i a very 
considerable proportion of tlu' increased temperature of a 
hot-housi\ This speeies of heat, however, is materially 
affected by the admission of the air necessary to the growth 
and healthy state of the plants. We are not aware of its 
liaving been employed as a primary source of heat, except 
in the case of l)r. Anderson's patent hot-house, in which 
heated air was kept, bottled up, as it were, in separate 
chambers; an arrangement too irregular and unmanage- 
able to be of much utility in our variable climate. 

Vegetable substances in a state of fermentation evolve a 
considerable (piantit v of calorie, and are much employed to 
produce bottom I/cot in hotbeds, ]>ine-apple, or nudon pits. 

* \{ will 1)0 soiMi tluit I\lr. IUmuIIo's uukU' of honlini; is moroly an oxton- 
sion of that of Mr. Corbott, dosoribod al)(>vo ; and ns .sumo intorost wiia o.\- 
oltod by Mr. Oorbott\>< rlaim to originalily in Ids inodo ol" boating, it may bo 
projior to slato that liis palont was .soaUnl in Anj^nst, 18'^8, wliilo tbo .sauio 
modo, a.s dosi-ribod at l>a;:;o !U)",', was in operation in tho yjardons at llopotoun 
llouso in October, lSo'.J, two yoars bot'oro tlio pultiioation ot" this Iroatiso in 
tlio IOnoyob)p!i>dia liritamdoa. In Iho (^ardonor'.s Maga'/.ino for IBlit), a 
dosoription is jrlvon of a houso fitted up in tho nursery of Mr. Knight, King'a 
Koad, Cholsoa, by Mr. lhH)rgo Jono.^, of IJirnvingliatn, with oast iron trovigha 
nnil movublo oovcrSj from winch account Mr. Smith boliovos it was that ho 
made tho application of tho troughs in the pita ho designed, ns described at 
page 3l')3 of tho ]irosont treatise. 



ADMISSION OF AIR. 317 

In a few instances they have been applied to warm the 
atmosphere of vineries and peach-houses, in which, how- 
ever, they have been found to be but an indifferent substi- 
tute for the other means already explained. 

In the management of artificial heat, a considerable de- 
gree of caution is required. All the operations of nature 
are gradual ; and in forcing^ it is well to follow these as 
the safest examples. The judicious gardener will there- 
fore apply his heat very gradually at first; he will increase 
it by degrees for several weeks, and, in particular, he will 
guard against any sudden decrease of warmth, as nothing 
is more necessary to success than that the course of vege- 
tation be continued uninterruptedly through foliation, inflo- 
rescence, and fructification. He will cause the tempe- 
rature to increase by day and decrease by night, to rise 
in summer and fall in winter. He will, in short, imitate, 
as much as possible, the natural and varying influence of 
the sun. 

It is scarcely necessary to say that a Fahrenheit ther- 
mometer is an indispensable instrument to the gardener, 
not only in the forcing-house, but in every department. 
Six's Registering thermometer is very convenient for point- 
ing out the extreme temperatures during night or day. 

The admission of Air. — The deteriorating influence 
which all living plants are supposed to exert on the atmos- 
phere must operate with tenfold force in a glazed house, 
where the proportion of air to vegetable substance is infi- 
nitely smaller than under the open sky, and where the cor- 
rective agitations of the wind, and the changes of tempera- 
ture, are much less perceptibly felt. The respiration of 
plants, and the exhalations of putrescent vegetables, re- 
quire a constant circulation of the aerial fluid, and this is 
maintained by means of movable sashes, and ventilators in 



318 FORCING GARDEN. 

the roof of the house. Of these, sashes seem preferable, 
as less apt to produce currents of cold air, which are 
always injurious to vegetation. It is, indeed, a disadvan- 
tage that, by sliding down over one another, they diminish 
the influx of light. In winter, however, when light, from 
its scarcity in our high latitude, is most valuable, they are 
seldom drawn down to any extent ; and, by having all the 
sashes movable, the gardener, with a little attention, may 
correct in a great measure any inequality in this respect. 
Sliding sashes require a depth of rafter which greatly aug- 
ments the shade in oblique sunshine, an evil which cannot 
easily be obviated. With fixed roofs, and more especially 
those which are curvilinear (to be immediately described,) 
numerous ventilators are the only means by which a proper 
circulation of air can be obtained. Some very intelligent 
gardeners prefer having all the sloping sashes fixed, and 
ventilating chiefly by means of large windows at each end 
of the house, aided by small ventilators in front. 

The quantity of air to be admitted from time to time 
must vary with the season, the temperature required to be 
kept up, and the kinds of plants cultivated. It shoald be 
given and withdrawn by degrees, particularly in the colder 
portions of the year. The sashes or ventilators, for in- 
stance, may be partially open by eight A. M., top air being 
given before front air ; full air may be employed about ten: 
a reduction should take place before three P. M., and the 
whole should be closed between four and five in the after- 
noon. In summer less caution is necessary, as in many 
cases the external air difiers little in temperature from that 
within the house. Most commonly air is given only dur- 
ing the day, and is excluded at night, with perhaps an 
increase of fire-heat. Judicious horticulturists will some- 
times reverse this process. Knowing, for example, that in 



ADMISSION OF AIR AND LIGHT. 319 

tlie West Indies chilly and cold nights usually succeed the 
hottest days, they will imitate nature, by shutting up the 
house by day, and throwing it open at night. This prac- 
tice, however, supported as it is by analogy, is subject to 
many limitations, and can only be followed in our climate 
during th^ summer and autumn months. It is useful, not- 
withstanding, to remember the principle, though it admits 
only of partial application. 

The admission of Light. — In addition to the heat with 
which natural light is always accompanied, there seems to 
be another property necessary to vegetation, which from 
some cause hitherto unexplained, is partly deranged by its 
transmission through glass. The fact, however, is evident, 
from the circumstance that plants thrive better near glass 
than at a distance from it, though the intensity of light is 
apparently undiminished. Hence practical gardeners are 
anxious to distribute their finer plants in situations as close 
as possible to the glazed roofs of hot-houses. 

Connected with the admission of light is the determina- 
tion of the pitch or angle of elevation of the roofe of glazed 
houses, it is evidently of advantage that the rays of light 
should fall upon glass perpendicularly, as loss by reflection 
is then a minimum, or indeed little or nothing. The angle 
necessary to obtain this result is easily deducible from the 
sun's place in the ecliptic. At the equinoxes, the sun's 
meridional height above the horizon at any point of the" 
earth's surface is equal to the complement of the latitude 
:at that place; and hence, in order that the sun's rays may 
be perpendicular at that period, it is only necessary to make 
the elevation of the roof of the hot-house equal to the lati- 
tude of the place. The angle for any other season may be 
obtained by subtracting from the latitude the declina- 
tion of the sun, if at that time to the north of the equator, 



3*20 FORCING GARDEN. 

or hy adding it if to the south.* These periods are of 
course selected in accordance with the time at which the 
direct rays are most required. Mr. Knight proposes a 
general elevation of 34*^ for the latitude of London, an 
angle which corresponds to the 20th of May and 21st of 
July. This would afford four months, from the 20th of April 
to the 21st of August, during which the angle of incidence 
at mid-day would not at any time amount to 9°, while the 
deviation at the winter solstice would he 48°, and the loss 
of light from reflexion would be little more than 1-30. The 
Rev. Mr. Wilkinson recommends 45*^,. a pitch extremely 
suitable for early vineries and pine-stoves. In this case^ 
the midsummer deviation would be 19*^,, and the loss l-40» 
and the midwinter deviation 30®^ while the loss is nearly 
the same. From these statements, however, and from an 
inspection of the table already referred to, it is. manifest 
that much greater exactness has been sought in this matter 
than is at all necessary. The reduction of the opacity of 
the roof, arising from the breadth and depth of rafters and 
astragals, is of much greater consequence. Accordingly^ 
in some glazed houses, particularly those constructed of 
metallic substances, rafters have been omitted altogether ; 

* The following is part of Bouguer's Table of Reflexions. Of 1000 iBci- 



dent rays, when the 




Angle of incidents is 75° 


299 rays are reflected, 


70 


222 


S5 


157 


60 


112 


50 


57 


. 40 


34 


30 


27 


20 


2& 


10 


25 


I 


25 



ADMISSION OF LIGHT, 321 

but this kind of structure leads to considerable difficulties 
in the admission of air. 

We have taken it for granted that the framework is com- 
posed of wood; and if prime Baltic timber be procured, 
it will endure for nearly half a century. But in some » 
cases rafters and sashes made entirely of metal, generally 
either malleable or cast iron, have been employed ; and in 
others, a middle course has been steered by adopting wood- 
en mortices and metallic tenons. The great objection to 
the use of metal for rafters and sashes is, that it is too 
rapid a conductor of caloric, and too liable to contraction 
and expansion from the alternations of heat and cold ; the 
expansion tending to render the sashes immovable, and 
even to loosen the walls ; and the contraction being apt to 
fracture the glass, and to produce openings between the 
sashes at which hoar-frost may enter. 

In order to secure the greatest possible influx of light, 
scientific horticulturists have proposed hot-houses with 
curvilinear roofs. It was remarked by Sir George Stuart 
Mackenzie, to whom the merit of the proposal is primarily 
due, that if we could find a form for a glass-roof, such that 
the sun's rays should be perpendicular to soine part 
of it^ not on two days, but during the whole year, that form 
would be the best. Such a figure is the sphere, and he 
therefore proposes a quarter segment of a globe, or semi- 
dome, the radius of which is about fifteen feet. The frame 
for the glass-work is formed of equal ribs of hammered 
iron, fastened into an iron plate in the parapet wall, and 
fixed at top into an iron ring connected with the back wall. 
There are no rafters or sliding sashes, but air is admitted 
by ventilators in the parapet and back walls. 

This form of hot-house roofs was warmly patronized by 

the late Mr. Knight, who, however, was of opinion that 

14* 



322 FORCING GARDEN, 

the house proposed by Sir George Mackenzie was too high^ 
in proportion to its length and breadth, and therefore 
recommended a smaller section of a sphere, with a greater 
radius. His dimensions are forty feet long, fourteen wide 
in the centre, and, including the front parapet, twelve feet 
high. The late Mr. Loudon, who, it is believed, was the 
first that actually erected hot-houses on this principle, pro- 
posed several subvarieties of form. He describes [Encyc. 
of Gard.) the acu)jiinated semidomc, the actc97iinated semi- 
globe, the semiellipse, and the 'parallelogram with curved 
roof and ends. With Mr. Loudon, we should certainly 
prefer the last mentioned. A considerable number of 
curvilinear houses have been erected in the southern part of 
the island, particularly as repositories for ornamental plants, 
such as in the Royal Gardens at Kew, Loddigcs' nurseries 
at Hackney, the London Horticultural Society's Garden, 
the Manchester Botanic Garden, the Duke of Northum- 
berland's at Syon House, and in various other private 
gardens. 

As far as we are aware, no extensive experimental in- 
vestigation of the comparative merits of curvilinear houses 
has hitherto been made. A writer in the Gardener^s 
Magazine (vol. ii.) states that he found it necessary, dur- 
ing the summer months, to shade his pine-apples growing 
in such a house, from nine or ten o'clock in the morning to 
three or four in the afternoon, in order to prevent the plants 
from assuming a rusty tinge and unhealthy appearance. 
Another practical gardener complains (vol. v.) that " the 
circular roof concentrated the sun's rays so immoderately 
that the tops of the grape-vines were scorched, even when 
the doors and ventilators at the back were open." This, 
he says, was always the case in summer ; and in winter, it 
was with difficulty, and only with the assistance of bast 



CURVILINEAR ROOFS. 323 

mats, that he could keep out frost. With others, how- 
ever, the curvilinear form has given great satisfaction. A 
considerable portion of the superior lightness of the cur- 
vilinear houses is due to the absence of rafters ; and as 
these may also be dispensed with in plain roofs, the effect 
of these ought to be deducted in making a comparison. 
Perhaps, when everything else is rightly arranged, there is 
generally enough of light in common houses. Scarcely 
any species of fruit, when cultivated in the open air, is ex- 
posed during the whole day to the action of the solar rays, 
but must unavoidably be shaded at times by leaves and 
branches. It is difl&cult to suppose that, in respect to 
illumination, there is any remarkable deficiency in pits and 
glazed houses, in which have been ripened pine-apples and 
clusters of grapes, at least rivaling, if not surpassing, the 
produce of the most favored of their native climes. In 
the facility of admitting air, in the quantity and conveni- 
ence of trellises, and in other interior accommodations, it 
cannot be disputed that the old forms have rather the ad- 
vantage. 

It has already been said that hot-house roofs of the com- 
mon kind are sometimes constructed without rafters or 
movable sashes. A considerable increase of light is thus 
obtained ; but this benefit is attended with an almost in- 
superable defect, namely, the dijB&culty of producing a free 
and equable circulation of air. It is indeed probable that 
the common or plain-roofed hot-house will always continue 
the favorite form with practical gardeners. In it the raft- 
ers are arranged at equal distances, and are made of a deep 
and narrow form, with their under edges rounded off. 
Nicol recommends that they should be made two and one- 
fourth inches broad by ten inches deep. Perhaps they 
might be a little broader and shallower with advantage. 



324 FORCING GARDEN. 

The size of the sashes may depend on the magnitude of 
the house ; their breadth, however, should range from three 
and a half to four feet. Except in very large houses, 
sashes are always disposed in two tiers, the upper row 
sliding down over the under one. Where there are venti- 
lators in the front wall or upright glass, the sashes in the 
upper tier alone require to be movable, and, for the sake 
of convenience, they should be made considerably shorter 
than the others. They are furnished with cords, pulleys, 
rollers, and weights, though the last, with no very prudent 
regard to economy, are sometimes omitted. Formerly, all 
hot-houses were constructed with upright sashes in front. 
One of the most eminent garden architects of the present 
day, (Mr. Atkinson,) has discontinued the practice ; and, 
except in ornamental structures, it is hard to say why it 
should not be laid aside altogether : for while upright 
sashes certainly tend to weaken the fabric, and increase its 
expense, their utility is at least problematical. 

Glass is the transparent material universally employed, 
for it is at once a ready transmitter of the rays of the sun, 
and a bad conductor of caloric, or it admits light, and re- 
tains the heat generated by flues. That some tint of blue 
or green would lessen the scorching eflfects of the rays 
seems generally admitted ; but the precise tint has not yet 
been satisfactorily established. Formerly the panes of 
glass employed were of large size, but small panes are 
found to be more economical, being less liable to break, 
and more easily replaced. It is believed that a pane seven 
inches in breadth by six in length is the cheapest form in 
which good glass can be obtained. In glazing, it is im- 
portant to keep the overlaps of the panes of small dimen- 
sions, perhaps from one-fourth to one-eighth of an inch in 
breadth. This diminishes the breakage which arises from 



THE VINERY. '^ ' '^^S 

iiie expansion attending the freezing of water detained be- 
tween tho laps by capillary attraction. As a further pre- 
ventive, the interstices are sometimes filled with putty, and 
occasionally with laps of lead or copper. This effects a 
considerable saving of glass and of heat, but imposes on 
the gardener the duty of increased attention in preventing 
the stagnation of air. The framework of hot-houses should 
be well coated with oil-paint ; white-lead of a stone color 
being preferred. 

In closing these preliminary remarks, it is proper to ob- 
serve that although the construction of a forcing-house is 
always a matter of considerable importance, it is not the 
only nor even the most important condition necessary to 
insure success. Much care in m^agement, skill in prun- 
ing, and some knowledge of physiology, must be possessed 
and applied, in order to obtain abundant and regular crops 
of fine fruit. 

The more minute details respecting the structure of 
glazed houses, we shall notice along with the peculiar cul- 
ture required in each ; and we shall take them in the fol- 
lowing order : The Vinery or Grrape-house, the Peach- 
house, the Cherry-house, the Fig-house, the Pinery, the 
Orangery, and the Melonry. The green-house and other 
botanical structures will come more appropriately under 
review in treating of the Flower Garden. 

The Vinery. Structure. — The vinery is susceptible 
of a great variety of form ; and, indeed, in this respect, 
seems more pliable than any other forcing-house. That 
form, however, which has been most commonly used, is the 
plane roof with sliding sashes ; and such is the success with 
which it has been employed, and such its convenience for 
every purpose, that it is not probable it will soon be gene- 



326 



FORCING GARDEN. 

Fig. 36. 





a, Hot-water apparatus in the vinery. 
6, Boiler for the vinery. 

c, Boiler for the hot-water apparatus of the mushroom-house. 

d, Pit below the passage of the mushroom-house for forcing rhubarb, sea- 

kale, &c. 
#, Ventilators for the vinery. 



THE VINERY. 



327 



rally supplanted. The section of the peach-house at page 
333 will convey an idea of the usual configuration of the 
vinery. On the preceding page, Fig. 36 represents a sec- 
tion and a ground-plan of a curvilinear vinery (having a 
mush-room-house behind), heated by hot water. 

A vinery, with flues and two furnaces, is generally fifty 
feet long, twelve or fourteen wide within, the height of the 
back wall being ten or twelve feet. Where there is only 
one surface, or where a hot-water apparatus is employed, 
the length of the house should not exceed thirty-five or 
forty feet. Small divisions are to be preferred ; for where 
there is a considerable extent of glass, the cultivator, by 
applying his fires to the difierent divisions in succession, 
can prolong the crop from May to December. The para- 
pet wall in front is commonly arched, or built on lintels, 
supported by stone pillars ; so that the vines, which are 
planted inside the house, close by the parapet, may send 
abioad their roots in search of nutriment. Sometimes the 
vines are planted without, and introduced into the house 
by slanting apertures in the front wall ; but the former 
method, where possible, is the more eligible. The trellis 
used for training is generally formed of wires drawn across 
the rafters, at the distance of a foot from each other. Of 

Fig. 37. 




328 FORCING GARDEN. 

late the trellis Las frequently been divided into portions 
of a moderate breadth, placed vertically under the rafter. 
This form is called the hanging trellis, and is described at 
length in the Lomi. Hortic. Trans. ^yo\. vi. A section of 
one variety has this appearance. (See Fig. 37.) 

This form leaves the middle of the sash open to the sun s 
rays, and allows the back wall to be covered with bearing 
wood, a thing which, in other circumstances, can scarcely 
be done with any beneficial effect. It must, however, bo 
admitted that, according to the experience of some, this 
arrangement is inferior to the common trellis. 

It is of importance that the included soil and front bor- 
der of a vinery should be fresh and rich, and of a consider- 
able depth. Mr. Griffen (in Lond. Hortic-. Trans,) recom- 
mends as a compost " one-half of good loamy soil with its 
turf, one-quarter of rich old dung, and one-quarter of 
brick and lime rubbish ; the turf well rotted, and the whole 
well incorporated." Plants raised from cuttings, and pre- 
pared for two or three years in pots, are preferred for the 
furnishing of a vinery ; and when planted inside the house, 
there should not be fewer than two plants to each sash. 

It is scarcely necessary to enumerate tha particular 
varieties of the grape-vine, as adapted for a vinery, for 
every good variety deserves a place where there is room, 
and all those which have been already mentioned are occa- 
sionally employed. It may be remarked, however, that the 
kinds should be assorted according to the order of their 
ripening. The early grapes, such as the Muscadines, 
should be planted in a house by themselves : those of a 
medium character, the Frontignacks and Black Hamburgh, 
for example, may occupy a second ; while the late Tokay, 
the Muscat of Alexandria, Nice, Syrian, and others, would 
be fit inmates for a third. This would produce a regular 



GRAPE-VINE PRUNING AND TRAINING. 329 

succession, and admit a uniformity of treatment in each 
houso. Where there is not a suite of vineries, but only 
one large house, the late varieties should be placed near 
the entrance of the flues, where the temperature is higher. 
Pruning and Training. — Very numerous have been the 
directions given in reference to these particulars; but we 
cannot here go into such details, nor is it necessary. The 
great object is the reproduction of bearing, that is, annual 
wood, over the whole surface of the house. When this is 
accomplished, the next matter to be determined is the num- 
ber of eyes or buds to be left on each shoot, that is, 
whether we shall adopt the short or the long system of 
pruning. The former is most allied to the practice of 
foreign vineyards, and has been most successfully employed 
in this country. According to this method, all the lateral 
shoots are cut down to single eyes, as des-cribed in Lond. 
Hortic. Trans. ^ iv., 104. For a particular description of 
the long system, we may refer to the same volume, p. 246, 
or to Loudon's Encyclopaedia of Gardening^ second 
edition, p. 548. To these references, we shall only add a 
few general remarks. (1.) It ought to be the great aim of 
the British gardener to make his vines grow as luxuriantly 
as possible ; for the good quality of the grapes, when pro- 
perly ripened, is generally commensurate with the strength 
of the shoots and size of the berries. The borders should 
therefore be made rich ; but they ought to be rather wide 
than deep, deep planting being adverse to the ripening of 
the fruit. (2.) In order to secure a proper degree of vigor, 
vines should be limited in extent and pruned during winter, 
rather severely than otherwise. To enable us to circum- 
scribe the plants, it would be well to introduce as man}'- 
separate plants into the vinery as can be done without con- 
fusion. For an illustration of this principle, we may refer 



330 FORCING GAKDKN. 

to tho practice of the rii:nrrons of FontaiuoMcau, na do- 
soribod in the 2^omofi(' I'\\ifii\iiS(\ or in tho /.(>//</. llortic, 
Tnffis., vol. vii. (3.) From the pooiiliar modo o\' growth 
in tlio grnpo-vino. the bcariuij^branolios liavo a (iMidinn'v to 
I'ooedo froni tho ooutro to tho oxtn-mitit's, and arc i>l'(on 
found in abundaiu'o only at tho top of tho trollis. Kvory 
youn>}: shoot near tho front of tho houso shouhl thoroforo 
be earefnllv husbanded, and out baok by way oi' reserve. 
OUi wood ought to be removed as frequently as possible; 
nud the skillful pruuer will look at least twi> voars before 
him. Nothing contributes more to regularity in the sue- 
eession of bearing wood than simplieitv iu pruning and 
training; and, therefore, all bending, and twisting, and 
traversing of branches should be avoidtnl. 

The summer pruning consists in removing with the 
lingers useless lateral shoots, and es[)eoially buds not pro- 
ducing shoots, and iu pinching otV the tender points o( tlu' 
bearing branches. The extent to which these beariuij 
branches may be allowed to run must depend on their 
vigor, and the position which they hold in the plant. Some- 
times it may be needful to leave them icn or twelve feet 
long, but, in general, two or three feet will be suilicient. 
The shorter the better They seldom or uever fail to send 
out secoudary laterals from their points : these and tho 
others wmch succeed them are stopped at the second or 
even tirst eye, and the operation is continuod until vegeta- 
tion ceases. When the young grapes begin to swndl, tho 
clusters are thinned out, that is, berries are removed when- 
ever they are too much crowded together, and the shoulders 
or sides of the bunches are supported by nuwns of slender 
threads of bast-mat attached to some tixed point above. 
The quality and weight of clusters should be regarded 
rather than their number. Nothing seems more contempt- 



Vl.ACll HOUHR. Xil 

]})]() tlmn nnrn}»r!rH of Hrriull uri'l ill ripftno'l hunctxjH of ^rapoH, 
Hmf!an;(i an t-ltoy often hrc, with fiijuf, and lionf.y fJ<;w. 
Avarico not, ijnfr(;fju<;nt,Iy cli';atM if-Kflf in tJiip, fnaU,r;r ; ;j.n«J 
it, ^n;nf;raily li;i|:)p';nH in the vinery, an rilHOwhore, that not 
h<; who (\i:H'ir<:H rrioHt obiainH inoHt. 'I'fj^. ripf.fiinj/, color, 
an'i flavor (>{' /.aapcH on tho iraa tiro, HaifJ to he promot';*] fjy 
removing a portion <>i' the foliage; tliin in to he fione, liow- 
over, only after the fruit haH o,ttained full Hize; and hy 
Honic it in, with apparent juHtiee,, alle//ed that tlio fr>lia^^e 
oii^^ht never to h<; ,'i[>ri'J^'e'l. If it \)<; a};iin<Jant, and t-.x- 
[(OH.ed to the ,-,un, the //r-'ipen will eojne to [<erf';etiori -'i.lt}ionf,'h 
nhaded \>y the frdia^^e. Horri'-.tifne.-i the, f)r;rrieH, whf,n KWell- 
iri^', Hefirn Huddenly arroMte.d in their [jror^'reHH to maturity, 
and r(!rnain Htunted and Hliriveh;d, ThiH affeetion \h ealled 
nkan/cin^ }>y ^'ar<]f!rie,rH, and in /generally awcrihed to damp 
and noiriome v;ipor, or thf; want of due eireulatifHi of pure 
air. 

The foreinf( of tlio earlient vinory may eommence in 
January. At firnt the temperature may vary from 50'"^ to 
55'"' Fahrerdieit in the mornin/ZH and evenin^^H. When thf; 
hudH have hiirHt, it may l>eraiHed to 70"', and in the flower- 
ing HoaHon it may he kept at 75'"^. At thin period it \h 
nccoHHary that the air Hhouhl f^; f^renf-rved moiHt by frequent 
HteamingH. Upon the appearanee of eolor in the fruit, the 
waterin^H Hhould oeaHe, and air ho eopiouwly admitted. In 
the early vinf;rieH, it i.s neeoHHary to continue the fire-heat 
without intermiHHion : in the hiter Iiouh^jh thifj iH not ro- 
<]uired, hut it muHt \>(: uH.ed oeeaHionally, oven in warm 
weather, to obviate the effeetH of damp, 

'Vwv. pKAf n HorjBE. — A pcacb-houHC, intended to be 
commanded by one furnace, is generally about forty feet 
lonf(, ten or twelve feet wide, and fourteen feet high; but 



332 FORCING GARDEN. 

these dimensions may be varied considerably, according to 
the time at which the crop is desired to come in. For 
early forcing, perhaps twenty -five or thirty feet in length, 
and seven or eight in breadth, are sufficient; while a house 
in which the operations of nature are only to be slightly 
accelerated may be extended to fifty feet. As in the 
vinery, the fruit wall is arched, to permit the egress of the 
roots to the neighboring border. Upon this front wall is 
usually placed a range of upright sashes, which are sur- 
mounted by the sloping rafters of the roof A common 
form of a peach-house is annexed, the upper figure showing 
the vertical section, and the under one the ground plan; 
a, a are the flues, h is the table trellis, c the trellis on the 
back wall ; along with which a hanging trellis, represented 
at p. 327, is sometimes employed, although this is not 
approved of by many. The flue, which is built on pillars 
and returns on itself, occupies the centre of the house. 
The trees are trained to the two trellises h and c, and to 
the hanging trellis, if such be in use. Against the back 
wall three or four dwarf trees are planted, with interme- 
diate riders f the latter being altogether removed at the end 
of four or five years at furthest. These, with three for 
the front trellis, make in all nine or ten trees for each 
house. 

The figure on page 334 represents another form of the 
peach-house, not so generally used as the former, but of 
equal if not superior merit. "We have supposed it heated 
by a water apparatus a, a, but that is not an essential 
matter, as a common flue is equally applicable. There is 
no upright front glass, nor any trellis on the back wall, 
the trees being planted in front, and trained on a wire 
trellis 6, attached to the rafters, and covering the whole 
surface of the sloping roof As the peach tree is not 



PEACH-HOUSE. 
Fig, 38. 



833 




found to extend much more than twelve or thirteen feet on 
the open wall, the length of the rafter, inside measure, 
need not do more than approach to fourteen feet. It is 
obvious that in such a house the trees must enjoy an 
equable, and, from their proximity to the glass, an advan- 
tageous degree of light. Besides, being planted close to 



334 



Forcing garden. 
Fig. 39. 




the front wall, they are not exposed to have their roots 
stunted in passing under the flues, and through the inte- 
rior soil of the house, which, in spite of every assiduity in 
watering and manuring, is apt to become hard and impo- 
verished. Further, it has been estimated that, as far as 
roof and glass are concerned, four or even five such houses 
may be erected at the same expense as three of the com- 
mon form. 

In Holland, peaches are forced in pits resembling the 
common hotbed or melon-pit of this country. The trees 
are trained on a trellis-work near the glass, and the air is 
heated by the fermentation of stable-dung linings. The 
method has been partially adopted in this country, with, 
however, the use of hot water. When garden architects 
shall cease to be anxious about making all forcing- houses 
ornamental structures, this will probably be the general 
form in which early and tender peaches will be cultivated. 

The pruning and training of peach trees in the peach- 
house does not differ materially from the practice out of 
doors. The sashes having been removed in the autumn 
are replaced about New Year's day. Fire-heat is com- 
monly applied about the beginning or middle of February ; 
but where there is a large suit of houses, and an extended 



EXOTIC FRUIT. 335 

succession is wanted, forcing, as it then truly becomes, 
may begin a month sooner. At first the temperature is 
kept about 45'^, but it is afterwards gradually increased to 
50*^ or 55° Fahrenheit. While the trees are in flower, and 
till the fruit be set, the house is occasionally steamed, 
either by sprinkling water on the warm flues, or by admit- 
ting the vapor from the pipes, where steam is employed 
for heating. After this period the foliage is washed, from 
time to time with the garden engine. When the fruit is 
stoned, or the kernels have been formed, the temperature 
is raised to about 60°. Water is now copiously supplied 
to the border : the fruit is thinned out ; the various opera- 
tions of disbudding and tying are performed, and air is 
admitted in abundance. After the end of April, little 
fire-heat is required for the peach-house. The trees often 
suff'er from mildew. From this malady an application of 
soap-lather is one of the most eflfectual remedies ; the best 
preventives consist in keeping the borders of the peach- 
house clear, and in good condition as to fresh soil, and in 
taking care that nothing be permitted to obstruct the free 
circulation of air and full admission of sun. If aphides 
infest the house, a fumigation with tobacco should be 
resorted to. 

It may here be remarked that by curious cultivators 
several uncommon kinds of exotic fruits are occasionally 
grown with success in conservatories, vineries, hot-houses, 
or other glazed structures, along with the more regular or 
usual inmates. Among these may be mentioned the 
Loquat, Eriobotrya japonica ; the Jamrosade, Eugenia 
jambos ; the Purple Granadilla Passiflora edulis ; the 
Granadilla vine, P. quadrangularis ; the May-apple, P 
incarnata ; the Water-lemon, P. laurifolia; and the Sweet 



336 FORCING GARDEN. 

Calsihash, F. malifor77iis ; the Papaw, Carica Papaya; 
the Banana, Miisa sapientU7ii ; and M. Cavendishiiy which 
last yields its fruit readily, while the plant does not attain 
an inconvenient size. The Leechee, Nejihelium Litchi^ 
has occasionoUy ripened in our stoves ; the Longyen, 
Euphoria longana^ has yielded its fruit at Syon House ; 
and the Mango, Mangifera indica, at the garden of Earl 
Powis. The China Guava, Psidmin cattleianum^ fruits 
freely in the vinery of the Experimental Garden at Edin- 
burgh : the fruit is round, about the size of a small plum; 
of a fine claret color ; the pulp soft, only a little firmer 
than that of a strawberry, and of a pleasant subacid flavor, 
making a most desirable preserve. The Carambola, 
Averrlwa Caravibola, of the East Indies, has of late been 
added to our exotic fruits, by Mr. Batemen of Knypersley, 
near Congleton : the fruit is of the size and shape of a 
duck's egg, but with longitudinal ribs on the sides ; either 
in tarts or as preserves, the flavor is excellent. It may 
be noticed that, both from the descriptions of intelligent 
travelers and from the preserved fruit being sent to Brit- 
ain, we know that various species of exotic fruit-trees 
exist, which have not yet reached us in a living state ; and 
the introduction of these might form an object of innocent, 
pleasing, and commendable ambition to enterprising and 
wealthy horticulturists. 

The Cherry-House, in its general arrangements, re- 
sembles the peach-house, with the exception of the front 
trellis, the place of which is commonly occupied by a stage 
for pots of early strawberries or kidney-beans. The cherry- 
trees are trained against the back wall ; the house should 
therefore be narrow, and the roof steep. The operation of 
forcing generally commences early in January, with a very 



THE FIG-HOUSE. 3 37 

moderate temperature. Air is admitted freely till the 
flowers begin to expand, when great caution becomes neces- 
sary. When the fruit is setting, the temperature is kept 
as steadily as possible at 50° ^ after it is set, abundance of 
water is applied to the roots and foliage of the trees. When 
the fruit is coloring, water is almost entirely withheld, and 
€iir freely admitted. During the whole process of forcing 
cherries, any excessive heat from the sun's rays must be 
carefully guarded against by shading or by admitting of 
air. The kind of cherry usually preferred for forcing is 
the common May-duke, A cherry-house ought to form a 
part of every large garden establishment ; for nothing 
more signally distinguishes the tables of the opulent, in 
March and April, than ripe cherries appearing along with 
strawberries in the dessert at that season of the year. 

The Fig- House scarcely differs in form and manage- 
ment from the Cherry-house, the trees being trained to a 
back trellis, with the addition, however, of dwarf standard 
trees in front. The second crop is often the most produc- 
tive. In 1810, we are told, the royal tables were supplied 
with more than 200 baskets of figs, 50 of which were from 
the first crop, and 150 from the second. It is seldom, 
however, that a separate house is erected for this fruit. 
The fig succeeds very well as a dwarf standard between the 
front flues of a vinery, provided the roof be not too closely 
covered with the foliage of the vines. Of late, small 
standard figs have very commonly been grown in large 
pots, fourteen or fifteen inches in diameter, and placed in 
any of the forcing-houses. In this way considerable crops 
of fruit have been raised. The Figue blanche and the 
Marseilles are the sorts considered best adapted for forcing. 

15* 



338 FORCING GARDEN. 

The Orange Tribe {Cit7'us] are cultivated in Britain, 
rather as objects of curiosity and beauty than for the pur- 
pose of affording a supply of fruit. Commerce with Por- 
tugal, Spain, Italy^ and China, has brought this class of 
fruits within the reach of every one ; and the copious im- 
portations which annually take place have no doubt dis- 
couraged the cultivation of the plants. A few orange- trees 
are nevertheless to he met with in most collections, and in 
large and sumptuous gardens it is not uncommon to meet 
with glazed houses specially set apart for their reception. 

The following brief notices of some of the cultivated spe- 
cies of the genus Citrus are derived principally from Mr, 
G. Don's General Systeni of Botany and Gardening, a 
work evincing singular accuracy and unwearied research^ 
and from M. Risso's excellent paper in the Annates du 
Museum, vol. xx. 

C. Medica, the Citron, the Cedrate of the Italians, is a 
small evergreen tree. The fruit is large, of an oval form, 
and covered with a rough skin or rind, which is charged 
with a highly fragrant oil. The citron is generally used 
in confections. It is supposed to be a native of Media, 
and will scarcely ripen without protection in Britain, 
Three subvarieties of citron are described by Bisso. 

C. Limetta, the Siveet Lime. — This is rather a tall tree, 
with diverging branches. The flower is of a fine white 
color, composed of five oblong petals. The fruit is globosCy 
with a black, nipple-like protuberance at the apex ; it has 
a firm rind, and sweet pulp, and the color is pale yellow. 
The lime is a native of Asia, but cultivated in Italy. 
Seven varieties have been described. 

C. Limonum, the Lem07i. — The petioles of the leaves 
somewhat winged; fruit oblong, with a thin rind adhering 
closely to the very acid pulp.^ This, like the preceding, is 



THE ORANGE TRIBE. 339 

a native of Asia, but is cultivated in the south of Europe. 
There are numerous varieties. 

C. Aurantium^ Sweet Orange. — The petioles almost 
naked ; fruit globose, with a thin rind and sweet pulp. 
Risso has enumerated nineteen varieties; of which the 
principal are, the China, the Portugal, and the Maltese. 
The last has a blood-colored pulp, with rich juice, and is 
now much in request. The Tangerine orange may be cul- 
tivated successfully in a common flower-pot, producing 
fruit of delicious quality for the dessert. 

C. Bigarda^ Seville or Bitter Orange^ the most hardy 
of the tribe. The petioles winged ; fruit globose, with a 
thin rind, and bitter juice. This sort is employed for 
making marmalade, and is also used in medicine. Twelve 
varieties have been described. 

C. Decumana^ the Shaddock. '— The petioles broad, with 
cordate wings ; fruit large, round, weighing from ten to 
fourteen pounds, with a thick rind. This fruit was car- 
ried by Captain Shaddock from China to the British West 
Indies, where it first acquired the name which it here bears. 
It is now cultivated not only in the West India Islands, 
but extensively in South America. Four sorts are enume- 
rated. Of all the Citrus tribe, this has the most beautiful 
foliage, and it is therefore not improperly selected for fill- 
ing the back wall of a vinery. 

The Orangery^ in England, seldom differs in form, even 
where it is a separate structure, from that of the green- 
house. Most commonly, the few orange plants which are 
kept are grown in large pots, or in tubs or boxes, and oc- 
cupy a place with other exotics on the green-house shelves. 
When the trees are of considerable size, the boxes or square 
tubs are so constructed that they can be partially taken to 
pieces without materially disturbing the roots of the plants; 



340 FORCING GARDEN. 

and the soil can then be renewed or meliorated on the dif- 
ferent sides at successive periods. Of late, such tubs have 
been constructed of large slates ; these have an elegant 
appearance, and they are equally convenient, the sides 
being removable as in the wooden structures. At some 
places, the orange-trees are planted in conservatories 
erected for the purpose. In the neighborhood of Paris, 
the orangeries are little better than dark sheds, in which 
the trees are kept protected during the winter months, light 
and air being given only when the weather permits. At 
Woodhall, in Lanarkshire, they were trained against trel- 
lises, under glass, and in this way produced abundant crops 
of fine fruit. We have there seen a plant of the St. 
Michael's orange, twenty-four feet wide and eighteen feet 
high, clothed with fruit. 

Middle-sized plants are frequently imported trom the 
Italian nursery gardens, and this is the readiest way of 
procuring large specimens at a cheap rate. The plants are 
closel}^ packed in boxes, with some grass or moss around 
the roots. Upon their arrival they are in a withered and 
dead-like state, and require considerable care and manage- 
ment to recover them from the effects of the voyage. When 
propagated in this country, they are budded on citron or 
Seville orange stocks; the former recommended by Miller 
as preferable. The seeds of the stocks are sown in pots, 
and the growth of the seedlings is aided, during the first 
and second summer, by the application of slight bottom- 
heat in a hotbed frame. These are usually budded iu 
August. The late Mr. Henderson, gardener at Woodhall, 
used to graft his trees, employing cions formed of the wood 
of the second year. He also propagated by cuttings, con- 
sidering this the quickest mode of obtaining plants. We 
may add that this most successful cultivator of the orange 



THE PINE- APPLE. 341 

tribe made it a rule to keep his trees rather cool, and with 
plenty of air in mild weather, till the fruit was fairly set; 
after which he found that he could apply more heat with- 
out the risk of the fruit failing. 

The orange-tree prospers in a rich, fresh, and rather 
strong soil ; and, in this country, it is the practice to mix 
with it a considerable portion of well-rotted manure. When 
grown in pots or boxes, the plant should be shifted, and 
the earth partly renewed, every spring. In summer, co- 
pious waterings are given, and the leaves are syringed once 
or twice a week. The heads are kept thin, and any branches 
which inconveniently cross each other are removed. When 
planted against trellises, they are trained in the fan form ; 
and in laying in the shoots, allowance is to be made for the 
size of the leaves in the different species. 

The Pine- Apple (Bromelia Ananas L. or Ananassa 
sativa) is comparatively of recent introduction into Bri- 
tain. It was nearly unknown to English horticulturists in 
the beginning of the eighteenth century ; for Thoresby, the 
Leeds antiquary, kept a leaf of the pine-apple in his mu- 
seum as a curiosity. It is now largely and successfully 
cultivated in all the principal gardens in Britain. Its cul- 
ture requires all the ingenuity, judgment, and watchfulness 
of the skillful and diligent horticulturist; and we shall, 
therefore, treat of it at considerable length. It derives its 
name from the general resemblance of its fruit to a large cone 
of a pine-tree. The fruit is a kind of pulpy strobilus, 
formed of coadunate berries, and crowned at top with a tuft 
of small pointed leaves. The flavor of the^ulp is of the 
most exquisite kind. The plant is herbaceous, and the fruit- 
stem, which generally appears in the second or third year, 
is surrounded with long serrated leaves, resembling those 



342 FORCING GARDEN. 

of some species of aloe. The fruit growu iu Britain is 
considered equal in all good qualities, anel generally supe- 
rior in size, to that reared in tropical countries. The 
Lo7id. Sortie. Catalogue enumerates 56 varieties : of these 
the following may be deemed most worthy of notice. 

The Queen Pine is very generally cultivated. Its fruit 
is of a cylindrical or tankard shape, of a yellowish color 
inclining to orange, and sometimes weighs three pounds ; it 
is, at the same time, of fine flavor. This kind produces 
with greater certainty than most others, and the fruit maybe 
easily ripened in fifteen or eighteen months from the plant- 
ing of the crown or offset. It is therefore the most useful 
of all the pines. A sub-variety called Riplei/^ Queen is 
also excellent. 

The Black A?itigua has leaves armed with large spines : 
the flowers are purple ; the fruit cylindrical, averaging five 
pounds weight. It should be cut a little before it be quite 
ripe 

The Black Jamaica, or Old Jaynaica. — In this variety 
the spines on the leaves are small ; the flowers purple ; the 
fruit oblong, averaging about four pounds. This is an ex- 
cellent kind, and is considered the best sort for fruitinsc 
during the winter months. 

ThQ New Jamaica is rather an inferior kind, but is pret- 
ty good when ripened in the summer time. 

The Brown-leaved Sugar-loaf is a capital black va- 
riety ; and the Enville a showy and useful pine, with large 
flat pips, and the fruit often attaining a considerable size. 

The St. Vincenfs, or, as it is sometimes called, the 
Green Olive, has middle-sized spines, purple flowers, and 
pyramidal fruit, which average about two pounds and a 
half. It succeeds well as a winter fruit. 

The White Frovidefice has small spines, dark purple 



THE PINE-APPLE. 343 

flowers, and oLloDg fruit of a large size, averaging, when 
well grown, seven pounds weight, and sometimes exceeding 
twelve pounds. The color of the fruit is at first brownish- 
gray, but at ripening it becomes of a pale yellow. The 
pulp is yellow, melting, and abounds with quick lively 
juice, but not equal in flavor to some of the other kinds. 

The Trinidad is remarkable for the great size of its 
fruit, which is said to attain sometimes to the weight of 
twenty-six pounds. Its average is stated in the Hort. CciX. 
to be twelve pounds ; but we have never seen it above half 
that weight. The spines are middle-sized, the flowers lilac, 
and the fruit pyramidal. Apart from its magnitude, it is, 
like the preceding, only a secondary fruit. 

The following may also be named as good sorts : Bagot's 
Seedling, Russian Griobe, Green King with smooth leaves, 
Striped Queen, Sierra Leone, Brown Sugar-loaf, and 
Orange Sugar-loaf. And three or four more, though of 
inferior quality, may be noticed for their beauty or curi- 
osity, viz., the Blood-red, Otaheite, Scarlet, Welbeck 
Seedling, and the Havana, the fruit of which last keeps 
long, and has sometimes been successfully imported into 
this country from Cuba. 

Structure for growing Pine-apples. — The pine-apple has 
generally been found to require cultivation for two or three 
years before it perfects its fruit ; its culture has, in conse- 
quence, been divided into three periods — propagation, suc- 
cessional preparation, and fruiting ; and each of these peri- 
ods has its corresponding structure, viz., the nursing-pit, 
the succession-house or pit, and the fruiting-house. 

The nursing-pit has occasionally assumed a great variety 
of forms, respecting which, however, it is not necessary to 
go into minute detail. For summer use, a large glazed 
frame, placed upon a hotbed of stable litter and tanners' 



344 



FORCING GARDEN. 



Fig. 40. 



bark, is perLaps the best hitherto devised. The Alderston 
Melon-pit, and Atkinson's Melon-pit, described under the 
head Melonry, are likewise very .suitable for this purpose. 
In winter, it is desirable to have the assistance of fire-heat^ 
either from flues, or, what is better, from hot water; though 
this fire-heat is not indispensable. 

The succession-pit ^erfoYm^ the 
same functions as the nm-sing-pitj, 
but at a more advanced stage of 
the growth of the plant, and con- 
sequently requires an increase of 
size. With this difference, At- 
kinson's Melon-pit does very well 
for summer use. In colder sea- 
sons,, we should prefer a pit simi- 
lar to that represented on the mar- 
gin ; in which a hot-water appa- 
ratus on the s-iphon principle is 
employed to heat the atmosphere- 
of the pits, and the bottom-heat 
is communicated by the circula- 
tion of hot water from the same 
boiler, in open troughs resting on 
the bottom of the pit. The boiler 
a is placed nearly on a level with 
the bottom of the pit. b^ Pipes 
on the siphon principle for warm- 
ing the air of the pit. CC, 
Troughs for communicating the 
bottom-heat, placed in the bot- 
tom of the pit en a level with 
the boiler. The water is drawu ft-om the boiler to the 
ends of the troughs d d by small movable siphons 




PINE-APPLE. B45 

wLicli promote its circulation. The bed e, in wliich 
the plants are plunged, is suported by a framework of wood, 
resting on brick piers between the troughs. A boiler 
placed in the centre is sufficient for a range of sixty feet. 
Pits such as these have been in successful operation for the 
last two years in the gardens of the Earl of Hopetoun, and 
were designed by Mr. Charles H. J. Smith, landscape gar- 
dener and garden architect, of whose assistance the writer 
of this treatise has had much satisfaction in availing him- 
self, in the designing of the illustrative sketches and dia- 
grams. Mr. Smith also proposes another form of a suc- 
cession-pit, exhibited below, entirely heated by hot water. 

Fig. 41. 



WM/, 



The surface-heat is supplied by pipes in front; the bottom- 
heat is kept up by small pipes from the boiler, passing 
through cisterns of water extending the whole length of 
the pit. In this case it would be necessary to apply the 
heat only during the day. The only succession-house, or 
that generally in use till within the last fifteen years, does 
not differ materially from the common pine-stove : but, 
owing to its great waste of heat, it either is or ought to be 
entirely laid aside. 

In i\iQ fruiting-house^ more room, greater height, and a 
more powerful temperature, are requisite; and to attain 
these objects, many varieties of structure have been de- 
vised. We shall notice those only which are most worthy 
of attention. The first we shall mention is Baldwin's 

fruiting-pit, of which a section is given on the next page. 

15* 




340 



FORCING GARDEN. 



The roof is unequally ridged, the north or shorter side bo 
ing slated and furnished with ventilators, to admit air. 
The sashes are immovable, and the laps of the panes are 
closely puttied. There is a path within, and a single turn 

Fig. 42. 




"^^ 



of a flue behind. We should prefer the following form, 
in which there are ventilators, a «, and a hot-water appa- 
ratus surrounding the whole pit. The dimensions of thi» 

Fig. 43. 




may be fifty feet long, and nine feet wide, the glass being two 
feet and a half from the curb of the bark pit in front, and 
five feet behind. We next present a section of a pine-pit 
with a curvilinear roof, in which the astragals are parallel. 
A segment of an elliptical arch somewhat less than a quad- 
rant, the origin of the curve being on the front wall, seems 
better adapted for a pit than any portion of a circle. This 



PINE-APPLE BOTTOM-HEAT. 

Fig. 44. 



347 




'M^ 



pit is supposed to be heated by a small steam-pipe passing 
through a large iron tank or cistern <2, filled with water, on 
the same principle as exhibited in the figure at page 305. 

The old-fashioned pine-stove was a lofty structure, in 
the vinery form, with front sashes. It used to be forty or 
fifty feet long, and twelve or fourteen feet broad, and was 
commanded by two flues. In addition to the pine-plants 
m the pit, the roof was also partly covered with vines, a 
practice justly condemned by the late Mr. Nicol in his 
" Forcing Gardener." We are also disposed to agree with 
that experienced writer regarding the disuse of the pine- 
Fig. 45. 




stove itself. Besides other grievous faults, a single house 
affords too little room; and it is a matter of experience 



348 FORCING GARDEN 

that, where the stock of pine-plants is not extensive, cer- 
tain and abundant crops of fruit cannot be expected. In- 
stead, therefore, of a succession and fruiting-house of the 
old form, with two fires each, it would be better to have 
four pits with single fires. There might be two succession- 
pits of the forms represented, supra, pages 344, 345, and 
two fruiting-pits similar to the figures on page 346. These 
would contain a much greater number of plants than two 
pine-stoves, would be little more expensive in erection, and, 
as the number of fires is the same, would not consume 
much more fuel. 

JioUom-Heat. — As a substitute for the warmth absorbed 
by the earth from the powerful ra3's of the sun in tropical 
countries, the pots of pine-plants are generally plunged iu 
a bed composed of tanners' bark, decaying leaves, or other 
fermenting substances. Tanners' bark is most commonly 
used. Speechly and Nicol prefer leaves shed by hardwood 
trees in autumn. Others form the under and greater part 
of the bed with stable-litter. Whatever substance is em- 
ployed, it should not be put into the bed until the first 
violent heat of fermentation have passed ; or, if circum- 
stances impose a necessity of using it in a recent state, it 
should be largely mixed with old materials of the same 
kind. A layer of exhausted bark, ten or twelve inches 
thick, should be laid on the surface of the bed. In pine- 
stoves, the curb of the bark pit is usually elevated about 
three feet above the common level of the house, and has a 
gentle slope towards the front ; in pine-pits, however, it 
approaches more closely to the glass. The bark is com- 
monly five or six feet deep ; but it may be questioned 
whether this depth is not excessive and unnecessary. A 
bed about three and a half feet deep would probably bo 



PINE-APPLE BOTTOM HEAT. 



349 



more convenient, and afford a heat sufficient both in in- 
tensity and duration for any useful purpose. 

We have already shown how a system of tubes trans- 
mitting steam or hot water may be made available for the 



Fi.fT. 46. 




*^f 



production of bottom-heat. There is another method wor- 
thy of at least a cursory notice. Its invention is due to 



o.'jO forcing garden^ 

]Mr. M'Murtrie, and it will be understood by the section 
and plan given in the preceding figures. 

A shallow bark-bed, about two feet deep, rests upon an 
arched chamber of single brick. 1, is the fire-place; 2, a 
fire-flue running along the whole length of the chamber 4, 
which is also kept full of steam by means of the boiler and 
pipe 3 ; the aperture 5, admits steam and heat into the air 
of the pit, and of these there is one, both in back and front, 
under each sash, capable of being stopped at pleasure. 
The waste-pipe 6, allows the steam to escape, when the 
apertures marked 5, are shut. By the return of the flue 
2, the atmosphere of the house is heatod ; and by the joint 
action of the inclosed part of the flue, and of the steam in 
the chamber, an abundant and salubrious bottom-heat is 
easily maintained. 

The proper management of bottom-heat is a matter of 
some difl&culty, and in this there have been more failures 
than in any other part of the pine-apple culture. The 
heat arising from violent fermentation is greater than the 
tender roots can bear, and, if all watchfulness be not em- 
ployed, the labor of many months may be blasted in a 
single day. Mr. Knight discarded bottom-heat altogether ; 
but he did not succeed in convincing others that pine- 
apples could be grown equally well without it. Bottom- 
heat is, however, very generally, kept too high. Perhaps 
the upper limit of its temperature may be fixed at blood- 
beat, or at most 100'^ , while the under or winter limit 
may be brought down to 70 ^ or 75 ^ . Gardeners are 
accustomed to judge of the heat of the bed by means of 
long sticks pushed into it ; these are occasionally drawn 
out and felt by the hand, and a rough guess at the tempera- 
ture is thus obtained. A far preferable method is to em- 
ploy a slow thermometer, slightly cased in wire, to protect 
it when pushed into the bed. 



PINE-APPLE SOIL PROPAGATION. 35 ' 

Soil. — Various nice and minute directions have been 
given respecting composts for pine-apple plants. Any 
compost, however, will be found suitable, which is at once 
rich, fresh, and simple. Perhaps a mixture of the top- 
spit, including the turf of an old pasture, and about a half 
of good, well-rotted dung, combines these qualities as com- 
pletely as possible. When it is necessary to lighten these 
materials, a compost of decayed leaves and a little sand 
may be added. It is of importance that the compost 
whatever it may be, should be prepared a considerable time 
beforehand, and frequently turned over. It should be 
broken with the spade, but not screened ; and when used, 
it should not be too moist. Pine-apple plants are found 
to show fruit more readily in a rich light soil than in strong 
loam, but not to produce such large fruit. In selecting 
his compost, the cultivator must make his selection between 
these advantages. At all events the soil must be rich ; it 
can scarcely be too rich. '■'■ The pine," says an intelligent 
writer in the Gardener'' s Magazine, vol. ix., " is a gross 
feeder, and will thrive in vegetable manure, however rich 
and fresh." Liquid manures have been applied ; but these, 
however useful when recent, prove deleterious in a ferment- 
ed state. 

Propagation. — In the cultivated state, the fruit of the 
pine-apple becomes so succulent that it seldom or never 
forms seed. The different varieties are propagated by 
planting the crowns or tufts which grow on the fruit, or 
the suckers which appear at the base of the stem. These, 
when removed from the fruit or the stem, are laid aside 
for a few days, till the scar at the place of separation have 
dried or healed, a precaution to prevent their rotting ; 
after which they are potted immediately. Sometimes, late 
in the season, they are merely thrust into exhausted tan, 



352 FORCING GARDEN. 

without pots, where they remain till the following spring. 
In general the offsets should be as large as possible. 
Speechly did not break off his suckers before thej were 
twelve or fourteen inches long, and he reserved only the 
largest crowns. These large suckers and crowns grow 
with greater rapidity, and come sooner into fruit, than 
those of smaller size; and in this, in truth, consists the 
principal secret of what has been called the short method 
of culture, by which fruit is obtained in a much briefer space 
of time than usual. The soil employed in propagation is 
rather lighter than that afterwards applied. The pots 
may be from three to six inches in diameter, and, to pro- 
mote draining, should contain at bottom a layer of shivers 
or clean gravel. For some time the plants are shaded 
from the rays of the sun, and in about eight or ten days 
they receive a little water. It may be laid down as an im- 
portant general rule, in the culture of the pine-apple, that 
the progress of the plant should be carried on without in- 
termission — without a check, without allowing it to flag 
for an hour. As already stated, the older and more com- 
mon routine of pine-apple culture embraced a period of 
three years ; but recent improvements have reduced these 
to two years, or even to eighteen months. This has given 
rise to two modes of preparatory management, which we 
shall notice separately, premising that the treatment in the 
fruiting-house is the same in both. 

Triennial course. — The plants which were potted in 
autumn are kept in the nursing pit during winter, with a 
mild temperature, slight bottom-heat, and sparing allow- 
ance of water. About the beginning of April they are 
transferred into larger pots, and are commonly shifted into 
hotbeds, or pits heated with stable-dung, in which they 
are found to prosper exceedingly. Air is given every day, 



TRIENNIAL COURSE. 353 

and is copiously admitted as soon as the sun's rays have 
acquired considerable power. During summer, the average 
morning temperature may be from 70 '^ to 75 "^ Fahren- 
heit, but in sunshine it may be allowed to rise to 85 ® , 
90 '^ , or even more. The heat is maintained by adding 
occasional linings of stable-litter, and when it is exhaust- 
ed, the plants are transferred into other beds or pits, more 
recently made up, and in which fermentation is going on. 
In flued nursing-pits, the management is precisely the 
same. The bottom-heat is aided by fresh additions of 
tan. 

As nothing is to be dreaded from damp where there is a 
command of fire-heat, more copious waterings may be 
given, and the plants may be syringed overhead, or slightly 
steamed, by throwing water on the flues. It is not very 
common to shift the plants in the nursery during summer ; 
but it is a good rule to have recourse to that operation as 
often as the roots begin to mat on the sides of the pot. 
Before the end of autumn the young plants become vigor- 
ous. The lower part of the stalk should then be thick, tjie 
centre, or funnel formed by the leaves should be upright, 
open, and rather short, and the leaves themselves not long 
nor very numerous, but broad, stiff, succulent, and free 
from contortion and deformity. Towards the end of 
autumn, the plants are taken into the succession-pit, which, 
in fact, is only a nursing-pit on a large scale. The temper- 
ature for winter should be about 60°. About the middle 
of March, they are shifted into pots nine or ten inches in 
diameter. At this period, it is not uncommon, in com- 
pliance with the recommendation of Abercrombie and the 
other older authorities to cut away the whole of the roots, 
and to repot the plant somewhat in the capacity of a sucker. 



354 FORCING GARDEN. 

The reasons alleged for this extraordinary practice are, 
that the pine-apple plant is continually pushing out roots 
at the surface, while those below are rapidly dying ; that 
the soil, in the course of three years, becomes completely 
exhausted; and, lastly, that this treatment prevents pre- 
mature starting in the course of the second year. This 
last reason is very questionable, and it assumes that pine- 
apple plants Qnust be treated for three years before they 
produce fruit. There is some force in the other reasons, 
but they certainly do not prove the necessity oF the prac- 
tice. Roots may be pruned without being removed 
altogether. The earth may be shaken almost entirely 
away, and replaced by fresh compost, at the expense of 
only a few fibres. Again, if, at every shifting, a small 
portion of the earth be taken from below, as florists treat 
auriculas in pots, at the end of two years scarcely any por- 
tion of the original soil will remain. The grand objection 
to the operation is the great and unnecessary check to vege- 
tation, and the consequent stuntedness of habit, which, in 
succulent plants of such an age, is scarcely remediable. 

That it is possible successfully to cultivate pine-apples 
without thus cutting away the roots is borne out by the 
testimony and practice of Griffin, Appleby, and other dis- 
tinguished cultivators. When the roots are even partially 
removed, the plants must be shaded for some time, and be 
watered sparingly, till they begin to grow freely. The 
summer temperature should be comparatively warm, the 
range being from 65^^ to 7Q^ of fire-heat, or during night, 
and from 70^ to 85*^ solar heat. Abundance of air should 
be admitted, and the plants ought to be set widely, that 
they may have room to swell below, and become stout and 
bushy. 

Biennial Course. — The method of culture which we 



PINE-APPLE BIENNIAL COURSE. 355 

have denominated the hiennial course was first brought into 
notice by Abercrombie, and more recently has been strenu- 
ously recommended by Baldwin. Its chief feature is the 
acceleration of the growth of the plants by the application 
of higher temperatures than it was formerly supposed they 
would flourish in. They are, in fact, made to attain the 
growth of two summers in the course of one year. 

About the beginning of March, the most forward of the 
plants potted over winter, or the suckers kept in tan,' are 
taken out, the earth or tan taken away, and the roots 
shortened. They are then put into pots about five inches 
in diameter, which are plunged into frames or pits heated 
with tan or stable-litter. They are shaded as usual, and, 
after they begin to grow, receive moderate waterings. 
When the roots appear around the balls of soil, which will 
be about the middle of June, the plants are again shifted 
into larger pots from six to seven inches in diameter, and, 
if the heat be declining, are removed into other pits or 
beds. In the beginning of August they are transferred 
into large pots, in which, unless they are intended for early 
spring forcing, they stand during the winter ; and in Feb- 
ruary they are finally shifted into pots twelve or fourteen 
inches in diameter. For spring forcing, the last shifting 
takes place in October, and the pots may be two inches 
narrower. At every shifting the ball of earth is preserved 
entire. From March the temperature is gradually in- 
creased ; little air is admitted, even in strong sunshine, and 
a lively bottom-heat is kept up by means of repeated lin- 
ings. When there is danger of scorching the roots, the 
pots are partially drawn up, or even set upon the surface 
of the tan. The following table will give an idea of the 
temperature (Fahrenheit's thermometer) and its progressive 
increase : — 



356 roRcixG garden'. 

During Night. During Day. 

March GO" to 70^ tiO'" to 80° 

April 70—75 70—85 

]May 75—80 90 — 100 

.Tunc SO — 85 100 — 120* 

After the begiimiiig of July, tlio heat is allowed to de- 
cline by degrees, until it arrive at the winter temperature 
of 60"^. It is to be understood, however, that these tom- 
peraturos re^nrd only stable-dung or tan heat ; and that 
too, applied to erowns, as the larger suekers seldom require 
more than 100'^. When tire-heat is used, and it should 
always be through the niodiuui of hot water, the nocturnal 
temperature should only approach towards 80'^ ; and tliero 
should bo some expedient for the s/oir innnission of steam 
into the atmosphere of the pit. Paring the whole summer, 
care is employed to prevent the plants from being drawn ^ 
and for this purpose they are allowed much space, and are 
placed as near the glass as possible. In August and Sep- 
tember abundance of air, and more copious supplies of 
water, are given. In winter, the chief care is to preserve 
the roots from damping off, and for this reason, though it 
is not the common practice, we should prefer winter pits, 
having at least the command of fire-heat. 

This mode of drivifigy as it has been significantly called, 
is applicable chiefly to the varieties called the Queen and 
Ripley's New Queen ; most of the large growing sorts re- 
quiring a longer period. It is desirable, therefore, that both 
courses of culture should be carried on at the same time ; 
so that the larger varieties may be consigned to the trien- 

* These temperatures were nctujilly maintained in the pineries of the 
Royal G anions at Kensington in 1825. Our authority (Mr. Qowans, now 
gardener at Caddor House, and a most successful horticulturist) has subse- 
quently recommonded a mitigated scale. 



PINE APPLE — FRUITING HOUSE. 857 

nial course, while the vacancies in either may be made up 
from the other. That this is practicable, at least in gar- 
dens where there are two fruiting-houses, may be seen 
from the tabular compendium of culture given at p. 361. 

Fruiting" House. — About the beginning of August, the 
plants, now two years old, are shifted for the last time. 
The pots are from twelve to fourteen inches in diameter, 
and the balls are preserved entire. About eight or ten 
days previously, the bark-pit of the fruiting-house should 
be cleared out, the old tan screened, if necessary, and fresh 
material supplied. The pots are then plunged into the bark 
as deeply as can be done with safety, and the plants are so 
treated as to keep them in a growing state during the whole 
of autumn. In winter, the nocturnal temperature is kept 
at 60'' ; but towards the end of January it is gradually 
raised to 70°. This rise, however, should follow, and not 
precede or be a cause of the vernal growth of the plants. 
About the middle of February, the second fruiting-house 
may be prepared for the reception of the plants in the 
biennial succession-pit. These are existing in a mild tem- 
perature, and start during the general progress of the 
season. 

That period at which pine-apple plants first show their 
fruit-stalks, or, as it is technically termed, start^ is the 
most critical in their whole culture. It is generally desi- 
rable that this should happen at a certain age, and at a 
particular season ; but these are circumstances over which 
the cultivator can scarcely be said to have a direct control, 
and accordingly, while the most successful, can hardly 
deem themselves beyond the reach of failure, the less skill- 
ful are very liable to err. We are not aware that the 
rationale of starting has been investigated on the princi- 
ples of vegetable physiology ; and it is certain that the 



oo8 FORCING GARDEN. 

most absurd practices have been resorted to in order to 
force the plants into fruit. We pretend not to give a the- 
ory ; but a few practical remarks may be of advantage. 
It is evident, then, that the plant must be of a certain age, 
or at least of a certain magnitude, before it will start free- 
ly or to good purpose. Suckers of the first year exert all 
their energies in the production of roots and foliage ; and 
if any of them happen to start, they exhibit little more 
than a tuft of leaves where the fruit should be. In the 
iBecond year a Queen pine is capable of producing a 
perfect fruit ; and in the third year the New Providence 
and other large varieties arrive at puberty. The solid 
part of the stem is then observed to have increased in 
bulk, and to have ascended considerably above the soil. 
It is of more practical importance, however, to remark 
that the fruit-stalks do not appear until the pot is well 
filled with roots. Apparent exceptions there may be to 
this rule ; but in every case where it does not hold good, 
the plant will be found to be diseased, or the roots to 
have been violently destroyed. The grower should 
therefore take care that the roots shall have nearly oc- 
cupied all the new soil before the end of autumn, and 
that in the course of the winter the tender fibres be not 
exsiccated by drought, or rotted b}' excessive moisture. 
Again, it is probable that at starting, there is a peculiar 
check in the -growth of the plant, which causes it to divert 
the sap from the formation of leaves, and, like most other 
vegetables in straitened circumstances, to provide the means 
of reproduction, by throwing out flower-buds. This diver- 
sion of the sap is influenced by the quantity of vigorous 
fibres, for it is observed that when, from some accident, 
plants not well furnished in this respect do show fruit, 
they bestow the greater part of the sap upon the leaves. 



PINE- APPLE FRUITING-HOUSE. 359 

Further, it is not a mere suspension of vegetation, other- 
wise fruit would be produced by every plant which has had 
the roots cut from it in the manner noticed above. 
Lastly, it is probable that the proper check consists in a 
transition from growth, however slight, to a temporary 
suspension of vegetation, which again is followed by a 
copious flow of the sap, circumstances which, as might be 
easily shown, occur both in the winter and summer start- 
ing. If these imperfect observations be correct, it follows 
that starting is a natural process, requiring certain condi- 
tions in the state of the plant, and therefore not to be 
forced by violent treatment, or any sudden changes in tem- 
perature and watering. 

After the plants have shown fruit, they are never 
shifted ; but the surface-soil may be removed, and replaced 
by a little fresh and rich compost. Water is supplied 
from time to time as necessity requires ; but it is impossi- 
ble to give any definite rule on this subject. The observ- 
ant gardener will soon, from experience, discover the proper 
measure. Water should never be given in a colder state 
than the average temperature of the house ; when, there- 
fore, there is no tank within the house, the watering-pots 
should be filled, and left in the house for some time before 
the water be applied. Fire-heat is kept up either contin- 
uously or at intervals, during the greater part of the sea- 
son. It should always be moderate, never exceeding, by 
itself, 70°. During sunshine, the temperature may range 
from 70'^ to 100°. The greater proportion there is of sun- 
heat the better. Whilst the fruit is swelling, care must 
be taken to carry on the growth of the plant with equabil- 
ity and moderation. Violent checks are pernicious ; they 
debilitate the stalk, and cause a stringiness in the fruit. 
As the fruit approaches maturity, water is gradually with- 



360 PORCmO GARDfiJf. 

held, lest the flavor should be injured. Pine-apples should 
be cut a short time before they attaiu complete maturity. 
The larger varieties will keep good only for a day or two ; 
the smaller varieties a w'eek or more. 

The following tabular compendium is from Abercrom- 
bie, altered, however, in some of its details, to suit the idea 
of two crops a year. To execute this plan, two fruiting- 
houses or pits, and one succession-pit, would be required 
together wdth a variety of hotbeds, or pits for the nursing 
department. It is necessary to premise, that crowns and 
suckers are usually potted soon after they are taken off, 
and that August 15 may be considered the date at which 
the whole operations of potting should be finished. When 
there is only a biennial course, it commences from about 
February 14. 



"PINE- APPLE FRinrmG- HOUSE. 



361 



COMPENDIUM OF THE CULTURE. 

^BIENNIAL COURSE. BIENNIAL COURSE, 



1848. 
Axig. 15. 



1849. 
&eb. 14. 



April 1. 



July. 
Aug. 



Nursing-F'U. 

Crown.s and Sucker.s 'of 
the New Providence 
and other large vari- 
eties planted ; also 
snaall crowns and 
suckers of the Queen 
pine. 

Small offsets of the 
Queen pine dibblod 
into the tan. 

The abovxj potted or re- 
potted ; the balls of 
earth preserved entire. 

if The intermediate shift- 

< ing : time determined 

\ by expediency. 



Succession-Pit. 

The plants from the nurs- 
ing-house are shifted 
into larger pots : the 
greater part of the 
earth is renewed, and 
the roots pruned. 

Second intermediate shift- 
ing 

Fruiting-House. 

Between this period and 
September 15, the 
plants after having 
been shifted into full- 
sized pots, are intro- 
duced from the succes- 
sion-pit 



1851. 

•March. The surface of the pots are 
top-dressed. 
1851. 
June. { Fruit ripens, and the course 
ooQcludes. 



1850. 
Mar. 1. 



-June L 



1850. 
Aug. 15. 



Nursing-Pit, 

•1848 
Aug. 15. Large crowns and suck- 
era of the Queen pine 
,planted. 



1849. 
Feb, 14. 



Mar. 15. 



June 15. 
Aug. 1. 



Large offsets of the Queen 
pine dibbled into the 
tan. 

The above potted or re- 
potted ; the earth or 
tan is shaken away, 
and the roots pruned, 
the pots transferred 
into hotbeds or pits. 

First intermediate shift- 
ing 
Second intermediate shift- 
ing. 



Succession-Pit. 

1849. 
Oct 1. Plants introduced from the 
nursing - pit ; but not 
shifted unless intend- 
ed for early spring 
forcing. 



1850. 
Feb. 15. 



Fruiting-Hoixse. 

Plants shifted for the last 
time, and introduced 
from the succession- 
pit- 




Fruit ripens, and the toursa 
concludes. 



362 



TORCma GARDEN. 



Teie Mklomiv — a dopartiuont dorivinjx its name from 
the melon, the principal plant cnltivated in it — is an im- 
portant appendage of the forciiio- o-nrdon. After noticing 
some of the most necessary ap])aratus employed in it, we 
shall treat of the melon,^ cucnmber, and ijourd, and their 
culture respectively. 

The common hotbed frame is most usually employed f 
and it is so well known as scarcely to require description. 
It is a rectangular box, with sliding sashes, which may be 
single, in pairs, or in threes. The length of the sash is 
generally five or six feet, and its breadth about three feet 
and a half. The back of the frame is about double the 
height of the front, it being intended that the slope should 
be set towards the south. When used, it is placed on a 
bed of fermenting vegetable matter, from three to six feet 
in thickness, according to the purpose to which it is to be 
applied, or the severity of the season. Stable-litter is the 
fermenting material most commonly employed ; but tree- 
leaves, exhausted tanners' bark, or flax-dressers' refuse, 
are also used. Tree-leaves, when moderately dry and well 
trodden, are more equable in their fermenting heat, and 
retain it longer than the other materials mentioned. If a 
layer, half a foot thick, of bark be placed over a bed of 
leaves five feet thick, a gentle and uniform temperature 
may be commauded for several successive months. 

The Alderston Melon Pit, of \\\\\q\\ the following is a 
section, is partly above and partly below ground. The 

Firr. 47. 




THE MELONRY. 



863 



front and back walls, a, a, are of brick, supported on piers 
or stone pillars ; b h are spaces inclosed within outer walls, 
and covered with boards to contain linings, which commu.- 
nicate, without any object intervening, with the fermenting 
substances in the interior of the pit. These spaces may 
be two feet wide : the interior pit should seldom be more 
than six feet in breadth. A principal quality of this struc- 
ture is its neatness and cleanliness. Calcd. Hortic. Mem. , 

vol. ii., p. 217. 

West Melon and Cucumber Pit is also built of brick. 
It has in this figure a chamber a to contain the dung ; 

Fig. 48. 




/>, a square opening by which the dung is introdur. d ; c, 
rafters of wood or cast-iron, sustaining the interior soil ; dd, 
openings to permit the ascent of steam. The walls are 
nine inches thick, and the pit may be seven feet wide inside 
measure. Lond. Horl. Trans., vol. iv., p. 220. 

Atkinson's Melon Pit, as given on next page, is a brick 
structure. The back wall a and the end wall are four 
inches thick, built in the pigeon-hole fashion, that is, with 
square interstices between the bricks. The front wall b is 
double; the interior portion is brick in bed, the exterior 
brick on edge, with piers under each rafter. The included 
space communicates with the inside of the bed c. The 
pit d is filled with fermenting litter or tanners' bark ; 
e e are spaces for linings. This pit, acccording to the ex- 



364 



FORCING GARDEN. 
Fig. 49. 




perience of the Horticultural Society of London, has boeii 
found " far superior to any other yet constructed." Trans. ^ 
vol. vi., p. 373. — Sometimes the whole is formed of wood, 
or sometimes only the part above ground. 

The extent of the melonry must depend upon the size 
of the garden, and the amount of the demand. Where 
there is a large family, and especially where pine-apples are 
Cultivated (to the forwarding of which some portion of the 
melonry may frequently be auxiliary), sixty or seventy 
Rashes may be considered as a moderate complement. 

The Melon (Oucuttiis Melo) has long been cultivated in 
Britain, but the period of its introduction and its native 
country are not well ascertained. The plant is a tender 
annual, requiring considerable care and skill to rear it in 
perfection ; but it repays the labors of the horticulturist 
by affording a large, and to most persons a liighly palata-' 
ble, fruit. The varieties are numerous, and, from their ten-* 
deucy to sport or vary, are rather fugitive in their dura- 
tion. Many of the old favorites have disappeared, and 
those at present in vogue will doubtless take the same 
course, or will at least assume new forms, while they retain 
their old names. In these circumstances, it is deemed un- 
necessary to enter into minute description, or to do more than 
give a list of the sorts at present best deserving of cultiva- 
tion. It may be premised that they all belong to the spe- 
cies usually called the Musk Melon. The Water Melon, 



THE MELONRY. 365 

( Cucurhita Citrullus) appertains to another genus, and is 
seldom reared in this country except as a curiosity. 

Early Cantaloupe. Green Hoosainee Persian. 

Scarlet-fleshed Cantaloupe. Golden Rock. 

Beechwood. Silver Rock. 

Smooth Scarlet-fleshed. Cephalonian. 

Duke of Bedford, green-fleshed. Kassaba, green-fleshed. 

Green-fleshed Egyptian. Sweet Melon of Ispahan. 

Green-fleshed Italian. Winter Grecian. 

It is important that no seeds but such as have been pro- 
cured from approved genuine specimens of the several 
sorts should be sown. In general, the fresher or more re- 
cent that garden seeds are, the better ; but the case is dif- 
ferent with the melon. Here it is desirable that the seeds 
should have been kept in a dry state for a year or two : 
for it is found that plants produced from recent seeds push 
too vigorously, sending their shoots to a great length before 
they show a single fruit ; while those from old seeds are 
less luxuriant in growth, but more fruitful. 

The melon succeeds best in a strong rich soil. A com- 
post, formed of two-thirds of rotted turf, and one-third of 
old cow-dung, will be found very suitable. This should be 
prepared for a year at least before it be employed in the 
melon frame. 

There are generally several, perhaps three, successive 
crops of melons raised in large gardens. It is seldom ex- 
pedient to sow before the middle or end of January, and 
sometimes it is soon enough a month later. A seed-bed 
capable of receiving a frame with a single sash is previously 
prepared. This bed, composed of fermenting stable-litter, 
should be of considerable thickness, perhaps about five 
feet. Immediately upon its formation, the frame and sash 
are placed on it, and they are kept close till the heat begin 



366 FORCING GARDEN. 

to rise, when the hot vapor is permitted to escape. Three 
or four days after the bed has been formed, it is covered 
over to the depth of three inches with earth prepared be- 
forehand. Rich, light, dry earth, is best adapted for this 
purpose; and, that it may be dry enough, it is proper to 
use such as may have been protected from rain during 
winter. A few small flower-pots are filled with the same 
earth, and kept in the hotbed, that the soil in them may 
acquire a proper temperature. The seeds are then sown 
in the flower-pots, and covered half an inch deep ; after 
which the pots are plunged a little way into the earth of 
the bed. 

When hot vapor rises copiously, fresh air is admitted by 
raising the sash a little. The frame is covered every even- 
ing at sunset with mats, and is again exposed in the morn- 
ing about nine o'clock, sooner or later, according to the 
state of the weather. A single mat is sufficient at first, as 
the heat in the bed is generally strong. In two or three 
days after the seed has been sown, the plants appear, when 
the glasses are raised a little, to admit fresh air, and per- 
mit the escape of vapor. Unless this be done, the plants 
are apt either to damp ofi" or become yellow and sickly. 
To guard against the casualties of the season, and the 
chances of miscarriage, it is proper to make two other 
sowicgs at short intervals, so that, if any accident befall 
the first plants, the others may supply their place. Two 
or three days after the plants have come up, they are 
transplanted into other small pots, only two or three being 
put into each pot. If the earth be very dry, it is now 
moistened with a little slightly tepid water. The pots are 
then plunged into the earth, and much care and watchful- 
ness are employed to prevent the roots from being scorched. 
When the transplanted seedlings begin to grow, they are 



THE MELONRY. 367 

watered occasionally in the warmest part of the day. As 
the heat of the hotbed declines, it is supported by linings 
of fermenting litter, applied from time to time, around its 
outer sides. The lining should not exceed fifteen or 
eighteen inches in thickness, and should rise above the level 
of the bed upon the sides of the frame. 

About a month after the seeds have been sown, hotbeds 
or pits are prepared for the reception of the young plants. 
For the first crop, it is generally found that hotbeds are 
preferable. These are formed about three feet and a half 
thick, and of such extent as to receive several frames of 
two or three lights each. The same precautions with re- 
spect to vapor, and other matters connected with the fer- 
mentation, are observed as in the seed-bed. When the 
violence of the heat has begun to subside, the surface of 
the bed is covered, to the depth of two inches, with dry, 
light earth ; and under the centre of each sash a conical 
heap of the same soil is formed to the height of ten inches. 
By the following day, the earth generally acquires a suffi- 
cient warmth, and the bed is ready for the reception of the 
plants. The pots containing the young plants should be 
well watered the day previous to their being ridged out^ to 
make the ball adhere together, and come out of the pot en- 
tire. After the tops of the hillocks of earth have been flat- 
tened a little in the centre of each, a hole is made capable 
of containing one of the balls of earth which is to be 
turned out of the pots. Some of the pots containing the 
strongest plants are selected, and the young melon plants 
are plunged out, with balls entire, into the ridges or hil- 
locks already mentioned. After this operation has been 
performed, they receive a gentle watering. The sashes are 
replaced, and for some time, unless the vapor be strong, 
little air is given. Care is taken to prevent the tender 



368 FORCING GARDE-Y. 

fibres from being scorched. When the roots begin to show 
themselves through the surface of the hillocks, a quantity 
of fresh earth is applied all around them, and in a week or 
in a fortnight after, the whole surface of the bed is covered 
nearly as high as the top of the hills. 

When the plants have got two or three of their rough or 
perfect leaves, the top of the stalklet, which now begins to 
elongate, is pinched off, and from the axillae of the leaves 
lateral shoots are soon shot forth. These are fastened 
down with pegs, and are so disposed as regularly to cover 
the surface of the bed. These laterals will sometimes 
show flowers at the second or third joints ; if they do not,, 
they are topped in their turn, and afford other laterals^ 
which seldom fail to be fruitful. As these runners ad« 
vance, they are trained along the surface, and all weak, 
useless shoots are removed. This should be done repeat- 
edly at successive intervals, as it is found injurious to cut 
out a great quantity of shoots and foliage at one time. N© 
plant, as has been shown by Mr. Knight (Hortic. Tra?is.^ 
vol. i.), is more beholden to its leaves, both as respects 
health and flavor of fruit, than the melon. In cultivating 
thq sweet melon of Ispahan, that excellent cultivator never 
suffered lateral shoots or blossoms to be produced at a less 
distance from the root than the fourteenth or fifteenth joint, 
or more, above the seed-leaves. In this way the expendi- 
ture of sap, being confined to the extremity of a single 
stem, was small compared with the quantity formed ; it 
therefore accumulated, and afforded greatly increased nour- 
ishment to the fruit. 

It is seldom proper to leave more than one melon om 
each shoot, and in the large kinds perhaps not more than 
four or five fruit should be left on one plant. When the 
melons begin to swell, a slate or piece of tile is laid undes- 



THE CUCUMBER. 369 

each, to separate it from the damp soil of the bed. During 
the process of growth, the fruit is usually turned once a 
week, to expose all sides in succession to the rays of the 
Bun ; but, in turning, care must be taken not to twist the 
foot-stalk, as this would probably destroy the fruit 
altogether. At this period water is given with moderation, 
and abundance of air is admitted. The fruit should in 
general be gathered before it be fully ripe. Its approach- 
ing maturity is known by the appearance of a number of 
cracks near the footstalk, and by its exhaling a rich odor. 
When ripe, it should be taken off in the morning, and kept 
in a cool place till served up ; if this precaution be not at- 
tended to, there will be a considerable deficiency of flavor. 
The kind called Winter Grecian Melon is described by Mr. 
Lawson (Manual^ p. 407) as possessing the desirable pro- 
perty of keeping good for several months, if suspended in 
a fine net, in a cool, airy room. 

The average heat required for the successful growth of 
melons is about 70^ Fahrenheit. In the common hot bed, 
this is maintained by defending the bed during the night, 
and by applying linings from time to time. In pits heated 
by hot-water circulation, this is easily effected at any sea- 
son ; and were it not that the included air is apt to become 
too dry, especially in winter, when much heat is required, 
such pits ought doubtless to supersede the hotbed frame 
altogether. At present the old methods, partly it may be 
from custom, are still principally employed. It is unneces- 
sary to give minute directions respecting the management 
of melons in pits ; as, in these, the mode of procedure re- 
commended for hot beds will, with some trifling variations, 
also prove successful. 

The Cucumber {Cucumis sativus), like the melon, is a 

16* 



370 FORCING GARDEN. 

tender annual, requiring, in England, the assistance of arti- 
ficial heat to bring it to perfection. It properly belongs to 
the class of culinary vegetables, being used in salads and 
pickles. It has been long cultivated in England, where, 
however, its culture requires the closest attention of the 
gardener. The sorts commonly grown are, 

The Early Frame. Short Green Prickly. 

SioB House. Green Turkey. 

Long Green Prickly. Prize-fighter. 

Of these, the long and short prickly are well suited for 
ridges in the open air. 

The culture of early cucumbers so much resembles that 
of the melon that it would be useless repetition to enter 
into minute details. The cucumber, indeed, is somewhat 
the hardier, and therefore in summer requires less heat; 
but in every other respect the management of the plants is 
precisely the same. The first crop of cucumbers is gene- 
rally sown in the end of December, or the beginning of 
January; a second in March, and a third in June. In 
summer, cucumber plants, after they have been fairly estab- 
lished, require scarcely any other attention than to thin 
them out occasionally, and to supply them with water. 

Cucumbers, particularly the prickly sorts, are often 
raised in the warmer months under hand-glasses. A cavity 
is made in a border in front of a wall or other warm place, 
and is filled with hot dung. This dung is covered with 
earth, and two or three plants are put into it, and sheltered 
with a hand-glass. They are watered and dressed from 
time to time ; and by this means a sufficient supply of small 
cucumbers, or girkins, is obtained for pickling. 

In the southern counties of England, pickling cucum- 
bers are easily raised without any artificial heat, being 
sown in drills in the open ground. The earth is made fine 



GOURDS. 371 

-and level, and shallow circular hollows are formed with the 
hand, a foot wide, and half an inch deep in the middle. 
The distance between each hollow is three feet and a half, 
and the distance between the rows five or six feet. Eight 
or ten seeds are deposited in each cavity. This is done in 
the beginning of June. When the plants appear, they are 
thinned out to three or four, the weakest or least healthy 
being rejected. They are watered occasionally, according 
to the state of the weather. The cucumbers are not ex- 
pected nor wished to attain a large size ; they are gathered 
chiefly from the middle to the end of August. Vast 
quantities of these open-ground girkins are taken to the 
London market. The village of Sandy, in Bedfordshire, 
has been known to furnish 10,000 bushels of drilled cucum- 
bers in one week. Cucumbers may be procured in a hot- 
house during the winter months. For this purpose the 
seedlings are not raised till the month of August, and they 
are prevented from expending their energies in the produc- 
tion of blossom or fruit till they have been introduced into 
the stove. Their stems are then firm, and, as Mr. Knight 
remarks, the plants possess within themselves a quantity of 
accumulated sap. 

Gourds, species or varieties of the species of the genus 
Cucurbita^ may be grown like drilled cucumbers, or 
trained against walls or on pales. Though occasionally 
used as esculents, they are regarded chiefly as curiosities, 
the fruit of some kinds being very ornamental. The 
Succada {deader^ QuQMvhiidi ovifera), or vegetable mar- 
row, is a very useful sort, and in request for the table, 
being eaten stewed with white sauce or mashed like turnips. 
It may be raised in an exhausted melon-frame or pit ; or it 
may be sown under a hand-glass, and afterwards trans- 



372 FORCJNG GARDEN", 

planted into a good aspect, and trained agains't a wall or 
trellis. The tender taps of anj of the edible Cucurbitaceje^ 
boiled as greens or spinach, form a delicate vegetablCo. 
Melons and cucumbers, though requiring for their cultiva- 
tion in the English climate the protection of glass and 
walls, together with the highest degree of horticultural 
skill, to bring to a maturity, at which they are very in- 
ferior in flavor, ripen in the open air and attain great per- 
fection under the burning midsummer sun of the United 
States, especially the middle and southern portions. In- 
formation relative to the various kinds and best modes of 
culture will be found among the subj-ects included in the 
Kitchen Garden. 

The Mushroom {Agaricus campestris)^ though not pro- 
perly an inmate of the melonry, may appropriately enough^ 
from the nature of its culture, be taken along with the 
plants grown in this department. It is a well-known fun- 
gus, a general favorite, and esteemed a delicacy during 
winter and the spring months. 

Mushrooms used to be grown in ridges or prepared beds, 
in sheds, or covered with litter in the open air. Of late 
years, the Russian form of the mushroom-house has been 
introduced into Britain by Mr, Isaac Oldacre, and is now 
in very general use. Its arrangement may be seen by in- 
specting the back part of the vinery, a section of which is 
given at page 336. Two tiers of boxes, three in each tier, 
and supported by a strong framework, are constructed 
round the whole house, with the exception of the spaces 
occupied by a door and two windows. The boxes may bo 
from two feet and a half to three feet and a half broad, and 
about a foot deep. The house is supposed to be heated by 
hot-water circulation. In the centre c? is a narrow pit, by 
which the house may be worked by means of fermenting 



THE MUSHROOM. 373 

litter instead of the hot water, or in which rhubarb stalks 
may be forced. The windows are furnished with shutters 
to regulate the admission of light, much of which is not 
wanted ; and they are movable, to permit the ingress of 
air. 

Mushrooms are propagated from what gardeners call 
spaion^ and botanists micelium, being a collection of mat- 
ter resembling white mouldiness, crossed with vegetable 
threads. It may be obtained from old pastures, the floors 
of disused stables, decayed mushroom beds, or purchased 
from nurserymen in the form of bricks charged with spawn. 
When once obtained, it may, like leaven, be indefinitely 
multiplied and preserved. If not to be otherwise procured, 
it may be produced, or apparently generated, by placing 
quantities of horse-dung and rich loam in alternate layers, 
and covering the whole with straw, to exclude the rain and 
air. Mushroom spawn commonly appears in the heap in 
about two months after the dung and earth have been laid 
together. The almost impalpable seeds seem to adhere to 
the grass; hay, or oats, on which the horse feeds, and to 
resist the action of the animal's stomach. The droppings 
of stall-fed horses, or of such as have been kept on dry 
food, are found preferable for this purpose. 

The old method of growing mushrooms has been refer- 
red to above ; and, as it has some conveniences, particular- 
ly for those who have not extensive means, it may be pro- 
per to give some account of it. Horse- droppings should 
be laid out from the stable into a very dry place as free 
from straw and litter as possible. There they should be 
firmly trampled down with a man's feet, to prevent fermen- 
tation. The droppings from the horse-track of a thrashing 
machine form an excellent material in the spring time • 
for there the droppings are kept dry, and are thoroughly 



374 FORCING GARDEN. 

trodden by the horses' feet. Beds may then be formed 
two or three feet broad, and of any length. A layer of the 
droppings about eight or ten inches thick is first deposited, 
and covered with loamy earth to the depth of two or three 
inches ; then another layer of droppings of the same thick- 
ness, covered like the former ; and, lastly, a third layer, 
with its covering. The whole should grow narrower as it 
advances in height. When the bed is finished it is covered 
with straw, to protect it from rain and from the parching 
influences of the sun and wind. In ten days the bed will 
be ready for planting or spawning. Pieces of spawn bricks 
are then inserted in the sloping sides of the bed, about four 
or five inches asunder. A layer of loam is next placed 
over the bed, and the whole is covered with a thick coat 
of straw. When the weather is temperate, mushrooms 
will appear in about a month after the bed has been made ; 
but at other times a much longer period may elapse. The 
principal thing to be attended to are to preserve a mode- 
rate state of moisture and a proper degree of warmth ; 
and the treatment at difierent seasons must vary ac- 
cordingly. 

Of several other methods of raising mushrooms, Mr. 
Oldacre's, already referred to, may deserve to be particu- 
larized. In forming the compost, he procures fresh short 
dung from a stable, or from the path of a horse mill. To 
this is added about a fifth part of sheep-droppings, or of 
the cleanings of a cow-house, or of a mixture of both. The 
whole ingredients are thoroughly mixed and incorporated. 
A stratum of the prepared mixture, about three inches 
thick, being deposited in the boxes already described, is 
beat together with a flat wooden mallet. Another layer is 
added, and beat as before ; and this is repeated till the 
beds be rather more than half a foot thick, and very com- 



THE MUSHROOM. 376 

pact. The boxes are then placed in the mushroom-house, 
or in any out-house where a slightly increased temperature 
can be commanded. A degree of fermentation generally 
takes place ; but if heat be not soon perceptible, another 
layer must still be added, till sufficient action be excited. 
When the beds are milk-warm, or between 80° and 90° 
Fahrenheit, some holes are dibbled in the mass to receive 
the spawn. The holes are left open fcr some time ; and 
when the heat is on the decline, but before it be quite 
gone, a piece of spawn brick is thrust into each opening, 
and the holes are closed with a little compost. A week 
afterwards, the boxes are covered with a smooth coating, 
two inches thick, of rich loamy mould mixed with about a 
fifth part of horse-droppings. The apartment is now kept 
as nearly and as equably at 55° Fahrenheit as circum- 
stances will allow. When the boxes become dry, a little 
soft water may be used, but sparingly and with circum- 
spection, and instead of watering directly on the surface 
of the bed, it is better to spread some hay over it, and to 
sprinkle the hay. The more that free air can be admitted, 
the flavor of the mushrooms is the better ; but the exclu- 
sion of frost is indispensable. If a number of boxes have 
been prepared at first, a few only at a time may be cover- 
ed with mould and brought into bearing, the rest being 
covered and cropped in succession, as mushrooms may be 
in demand. 

Mr. Edward Callow, in a tract on the artificial growth 
of mushrooms, describes a method in which the pits are 
wrought by means of dung heat. His structure somewhat 
resembles Atkinson's melon-pit, only the roof is covered 
with thatch, and a suit of air-flues is formed within the 
interior of the pit, with branches crossing the principal bed 
which occupies the floor. Linings of fermenting litter are 



376 FORCING GARDEN. 

applied on the exterior of the house at the back and front 
The atmosphere in the pit, in the earlier stage, is kept at 
55 '^ to 65 ® Fahrenheit, and, when the bed is in full 
bearing, about 70 ® . The other details of this method 
scarcely differ from those of Mr. Oldacre's. 



CALENDAR 



The instructions given in the following calendar are, of 
course, adapted to the climate of Britain, where the cold 
is more enduring and greater in the average, but not so 
excessive as that usually experienced in the winters of the 
United States, especially those of the northern and middle 
regions, where little if any work can be done in the open 
air, in the kitchen or flower gardens, during the months of 
January and February. Now and then, in the latter 
month, when the frost may happen to leave the earth for a 
brief period, the planting of some kinds of early peas, cab- 
bages, with a few others of the more early vegetables, may 
be effected. In the more southerly portions of the Union, 
many of the instructions given in the calendar for January 
and February may be followed out, whilst those adapted 
to the condition of things in the hot months of June and 
July would require much greater modification. Seeing 
the great differences presented by the American climate 
during the same months in the various latitudes, we have 
chosen to give the English Calendar with little alteration, 
trusting to the good common sense of the American garden- 
ers to make use of the valuable suggestions and directions 
which it contains, with such modifications as they may find 
requisite to adapt them to the precise seasons and circum- 
stances, as these exist in their several localities. Most of 
the early out door work herein specified should be delayeci 
two months later in the Northern States. 



378 CALENDAR JANUARY. 

JANUARY, 

Kitcheyi Garden. — Trench ana manure borders for early 
crops. Sow early frame peas, preferring the Warwick 
variety and early Charlton in the beginning of the month, 
the Knight's dwarf marrowftit about the end of the month ; 
Marshall's earW dwarf, early mazagau, and long-pod beans, 
during the first and last weeks ; a few onions, early horn 
carrots, and round-leaved spinach for early crops, on very 
light soils ; as also curled parsley, if not done in August, 
on a warm border ; short-topped radish in two or three 
sowings, at a week's interval, in the same situation. In 
the last fortnight sow black-seeded gotte, hardy green and 
brown Dutch lettuce. 

Plant fruit-trees in general, in open weather, mulching 
the trees to protect them from the drought which may oc- 
cur in spring. Plant shallot and garlic. All the above 
one to two months later north. 

Prune all sorts of fruit-trees in mild weather or in 
moderate frosts, nailing only in fine weather; wash those 
trees infested with insects, with a mixture of soap-suds, 
flowers of sulphur, and tobacco liquor.* 

* "We have not deemed it necessary to treat separately or at length of the 
means of destroying insects ; many of the nostrums recommended proving 
very efl&cient. The wash here mentioned is perhaps the best and simplest 
for the stems and branches of wall fruit-trees. Some prefer making it of 
the consistence of paint, and laying it on with a brush. One advice we 
would tender to all gardeners — not to be anxious to kill the smaller kinds 
of the feathered songsters, the soft-billed warblers of the garden, which aro 
often suspected of attacking blossoms of fruit when they are only picking off" 
caterpillars or aphides, their favorite food. Even the common sparrow and 
the blue titmouse are useful in destroying the larvte of the moths which in- 
fest the fruit-trees. In hot-houses, the keeping of the walls and frame- 
work clean, by frequent white-washing and painting, is very importimt ; 
and much benefit results from occasionally filling them with the smoke of 
tobacco-paper, and then thoroughly syringing the plants. 



CALENDAR FEBRUARY. 379 

Forcing Dipartment. — About the end of the month, 
prepare for making up hotbeds for early cucumbers and 
melons, at least where a pit heated with hot water is not in 
use. 8ow salads, carrots, and kidney-beans on slight hot- 
beds. Sow peas in cold frames for transplanting. Force 
asparagus, sea-kale, and rhubarb, in hotbeds in pits, in the 
mushroom-house, or in the open garden by covers sur- 
rounded with litter. Give air in fine weather, and water 
sparingly, to the pinery and cucumber pit; and to other 
forcing-houses according to the progress of the trees. At- 
tend to forced kidney-beans and strawberries. Give abun- 
dance of air to the green-house, conservatory, and alpine 
frame, but little water. Continue to force roses, kalmias, 
rhododendrons, and hardy flowers and bulbs, for the deco- 
ration of the green-house, or to be taken into the lobby or 
the drawing-room. Most of these ought to be potted and 
prepared in autumn. 

Flower Garden. — Plant dried tubers and bulbs of bor- 
der flowers, if not done in autumn ; but the planting of the 
roots of the finer florists' flowers ought to be deferred till 
next month. 

Transplant herbaceus plants and evergreen shrubs in light 
soils, if not done in autumn ; also deciduous trees, shrubs, 
and hedges. Lay edgings in fine weather. 

Sow mignonette, stock, and other annuals, in pots ; sow 
sweet peas, and a few hardy annuals, on a warm border. 
Give stage auriculas and carnations abundance of air ; but 
keep them rather dry, to prevent damping oflf. 

FEBRUARY. 

Kitchen Garden. — Continue to trench and manure the 
quarters for early crops. Sow beans and peas in the begin- 



380 CALENPAR FEBRUARY. 

ning and also at the end of the month ; a few early cab- 
bages, to replace the last sowing in August ; red cabbages^ 
and savoys in the last week. Sow also early horn carrot : 
Dutch turnip ; onions for a full crop in light soils, with a few 
Scotch leeks. Sow chervil, fennel, and lettuce for succes- 
sion, with radishes and round-leaved spinach, twice in tho 
course of the month ; small salads every fortnight. 

Plant Jerusalem artichokes, garlic, horse-radish, and 
early potatoes; in the last week, a full crop of early cab- 
bages on light soil. All sorts of fruit-trees may still be 
planted ; strawberries about the end of this month or next. 
Transplant for seed, if not done before, all the brasica 
tribe, including cabbage, cauliflower, turnip, &c. ; also car-^ 
rots, onions, beet, celery, endive, leeks, and parsnips. 
Transplant to the bottom of the south-aspected wall a 
few of the peas sown in November for the first crop. 

Prune apricots, peaches, nectarines, and plums, before 
the buds be much swelled; also apples, pears, cherries, 
gooseberries, currants, and raspberries, before the end of 
the month. Finish the dressing of vines. Keep the fruit- 
room free from spoiled fruit, and now shut it close, admit- 
ting as little air as possible. 

J^orcing Department. — Plant out melons and cucumbers 
on hotbeds and in pits, sowing more for succession. Sow 
carrots, turnips, and early celery ; cauliflower to be after- 
wards planted out. Sow tetragonia or New Zealand spin- 
ach in pots. Plant early potatoes on slight hotbeds. Con- 
tinue the forcing of asparagus, rhubarb, and sea-kale. 
Pine-apple plants require little air or water at this season, 
except young plants in dung-frames, which ought to be kept 
free from damp. Shift fruiting plants by the middle of tho 
month, if not done in August. Continue the forcing of all 
sorts of fruits. Those who have not commenced sooner, 



CALENDAR MARCH. 381 

and who have a Hmall cHtablishment, will find the middle 
or end of this month a good season to begin the forcing of 
vines or peaches. Be careful to protect the stems of vines 
that are outside of the forcing-house. 

Let the green-house and conservatory have plenty of air 
in mild weather. Put in an extra quantity, if not done in 
autumn, of cuttings of desirable half-hardy green-house 
genera for tlie flower garden ; such as Pelargonium, Fuchsia, 
Salpiglossls, Calceolaria, Ileliotropium, Salvia, Verbena^ 
Petunia, Alonsoa, Mimulus, Lobelia, Maurandia, Tropaeo- 
liim, Bouvardia, Kodochiton, Lcptospermum, Anagallis. 
Many species and varieties of such genera are of great 
beauty, and contribute most essentially to the rich appear- 
ance of the flower garden during the summer and autumn 
months. 8ow stocks, a few tender annuals and dahlia seed, 
on a slight hotbed or in pots. 

Flower Garden. — In good weather, plant dried roots., 
including most of the finer florists' flowers; continue the 
transplanting of hardy biennial flowers, and perennial 
herbaceous plants, shrubs, and deciduous trees. 

Sow in the last week mignonette, and several species of 
hardy annuals, in a warm border for subsequent transplant- 
ing — particularly Clarkia, Collinsia, CoUomia, Eutoca. 
Gillia, Limnanthes, Nemophila, (Enothera. 

MARCH. 

Kitchen Qarden. — This is a busy month in English gar* 
dens. Main crops of peas, beans, cabbages, and onions^ 
leeks, carrots, parsnips, Brussel sprouts, borecoles, lettuces, 
and spinach, are now to be sown. Where space is rather 
limited, some of the crops, especially peas and beans, may 
occupy drills four or five feet asunder, so as to permit the 



382 CALENDAR MARCH. 

interlining of savoys or broccoli during summer. In the* 
beginning, and also in the end of the month sow turnips 
and savoys. In the last fortnight, sow asparagus, cauli- 
flower, sea-kale, couve tronchuda, cardoons, celery, and most 
of the culinary aromatics, as dill, fennel, parsley. Small 
salads, such as cresses and mustard, should be sown every 
ten days, and a row of chervil at the end of the month. 

Plant early potatoes in the first week, and a main crop 
during the last fortnight ; also strawberries. Jerusalem 
artichoke, sea-kale, asparagus, and peas raised in frames, 
may now be planted out. Full crops of cabbages should 
now be planted out, and cauliflowers under hand-glasses. 
Propagate by slips the various pot-herbs, as mint, sage, 
savory, tansy, tarragon, sorrel. Fork over the asparagus 
bed, avoiding the buds as much as possible. Transfer tetra- 
gonia seedlings into single pots. 

Fruit Garden. — Finish the planting and pruning of 
fruit-trees before the middle of the month. Dig and dress 
between the rows of gooseberries, currants, and other fruit- 
trees, if not already done. Kill wasps when they first 
appear, for the death of every individual at this period is 
equal to the destruction of a colony in autumn. 

Forcing Garden. — Proceed with the forcing of melons 
and cucumbers, giving air, and applying linings to maintain 
the proper temperature. Examine pine-opple suckers and 
crowns, potting those that have been kept in tan during the 
winter ; repotting those that require larger pots, and dress- 
ing the roots of such as are sickly, about the middle of the 
month, shift to the succession-pit, and give a top-dressing 
to the fruiting plants ; turn the tan, and add new bark to 
the pits, to keep up bottom-heat. In the vinery a.nd peach- 
house, attend to the keeping down of insects by watering ; 
and promote the growth of the young shoots by steaming 



CALENDAR MARCH. 383 

in the evenings. Graft vines when the shoots are sprung 
about fifteen inches. (See page 99.) Sow seeds of cap- 
sicum and tomato ; also tender annuals for the stove. Sow 
salads, early horn carrot, and early Dutch turnip on slight 
hotbeds during the first fortnight ; as also celery and cau- 
liflower for transplanting. Force strawberries and kidney- 
beans ; and continue the forcing of roses, rhododendrons, 
kalmias, hardy flowers, and bulbs. 

Green-Jiouse. — More water may be given than formerly. 
Sow seeds of green-house and hot-house plants ; also the 
different sorts of tender annuals ; pot off those sown last 
month. Shift green-house and stove plants; plant tube- 
roses in pots for forcing ; remove the forced shrubs and 
plants, as they come into flower, from the forcing-houses to 
the conservatory and green-house ; attend to the alpine and 
auricular frames. Begin to propagate green-house and 
stove plants by cuttings. 

Flower Garden and Shrubbery. — In the last week, sow 
hardy annuals in the borders, with biennials that flower the 
first season ; as also perennials. Plant anemone and ranun- 
culus roots. Transplant from the nursery to their final 
sites annuals sown in autumn with biennials and perennial 
herbaceous plants. Propagate perennials from root-slips 
and offsets. Protect tulips, Jiyacinths, and choice flowers, 
from severe weather. In the last week put into heat the finer 
sorts of dahlias, so as to start them, and prepare them for 
propagation by cuttings and by division of the roots. In 
the first week complete the planting of ha.rdy deciduous 
trees and shrubs ; and finish the planting of evergreens by 
the middle ; but some of the hardier sorts may still be 
planted towards the end of the month. Likewise finish the 
pruning of all deciduous trees and hedges as soon as possi- 



384 CALENDAR— APRtL. 

ble. Attend to the dressing 6i shrubberies, laying of turf* 
edgings, and to the state of gravel- walks. 

APRIL. 

Kitchen Garden. — Sow main crops of asparagus, sea- 
kale, beet, salsify, scorzonera, skirret, carrots, and onions, on 
heavy soils ; also peas, beans, turnips, spinach, r3lery, cab* 
bages, savoys, and German greens, for succession. Sow 
broccoli and kidney-beans both in the second and in the 
last week; cardoons not before the end of the month. 
Small salads should be sown twice or thrice during the 
month ; also sweet herbs, if not sown last month/ Graft 
fruit-trees. 

Plant cauliflower, cabbages, artichokes, sea-kale! lettuce, 
and finish the planting of the main crops of potat .^, and 
also of strawberries. Propagate all sorts of pot-herbs, 
and sweet herbs, such as lavender, marjoram, hyssop, balm, 
and pennyroyal. Attend to the hoeing and thinning of 
spinach, onions, turnips, and carrots. Earth up cabbages^ 
cauliflower, peas, beans, and early potatoes. Stake up 
peas ; blanch sea-kale and rhubarb in the open air, by 
covering with straw or leaves, or with boxes or earthen* 
ware covers. If some roots of scarlet-runners and of In- 
dian cress have been preserved over winter in dry sand, 
free from frost, they may now be planted out, and will 
afi'ord an early show of flowers and crop of fruit. 

Fruit Trees. — No pruning or planting ought to be left 
unfinished till this period ; stone-fruits, in particular, are 
much injured by spring pruning. If vines have been 
neglected, rubbing off the buds that are not wanted is 
now safer than pruning. Protect blossoms of the finer 
sorts of fruit-trees on the walls. 



CALENDAR— APRIL. 385 

forcing.— Continue the preparation of succession beds 
and pits for cucumbers and melons. Attend particularly 
to the cultivation of those in operation. Sow gourds and 
basil. Pot love-apples and capsicums. Attend to the 
routine culture of the pinery, giving water and air when 
necessary ; keeping up the bottom-heat with linings and 
additions of new tan. In forcing-houses, from the variable 
state of the weather, considerable vigilance is required in 
giving air. Keep down red spider (acarus), in the more 
advanced houses, by frequent syringings. Continue the 
usual operations of disbudding and thinning of fruit, and 
take care to keep up the proper temperature. As the 
weath^" may now be expected to be mild, those who have 
■only a single vinery, melon, or cucumber frame, will find 
the beginning or middle of this month a proper season to 
;e forcing with the best chance of success. 

Greeti-House^ Sfc, — Little artificial heat will be required 
except in frosty weather. An abundant supply of air and 
moisture is now necessary. The glass should be kept off 
the alpine frames, except in frosty nights. Attend to the 
protection of stage auriculas from frost, as the flower-buds 
are easily injured. Sow all sorts of tender annuals. Pro- 
ceed with all necessary shiftings in the green-house and 
stove. Remove camellias, when the flowers are over, to 
the stove or forcing-houses, as they require heat to make 
them form healthy shoots and flower-buds for next season. 
Propagate Chinese chrysanthemums by dividing the roots, 
and all sorts of rare and fine plants, by cuttings or by 
grafting. Pot off tender annuals and cuttings of half- 
hardy green-house plants, which were put in to strike in 
the autumn or in February, for the use of the flower- 
borders. 

Floiver Garden and Shrubbery. — Sow main or succes- 

17 



386 CALENDAR MAY. 

sion crops of annuals of all sorts ; half hardy annuals m 
warm borders, or on slight hotbeds. Biennials and peren- 
nials should be sown before the middle of the month. 
Plant Tigridia pavonia and fine stalks. Finish the trans- 
planting of herbaceous pea'ennial& by the end of the first 
week. Protect stage auriculas and hyacinths from ex- 
tremes of every description of weather ; and tulips from 
hoarfrosts and heavy rains. Plant out tender deciduous 
trees and shrubs raised in pots. Remove part of the cov- 
erings of all tender shrubs and plants in the first week, and 
the remainder at the end af the month. Form and repair 
lawns and grass-walks by laying turf and sowing perennial- 
grass- seeds, 

MAr. 

Kitchen Garden. — Sow small salads every week ; rad- 
ishes and lettuces thrice during the month ; spinach once 
a fortnight ; carrots and onions for late drawing ; kidney- 
beans in the first week and last fortnight ; peas and beans, 
cabbages, Brussels sprouts, borecole, broccoli, savoys, and 
German greens for late crops. The last sowing of cauli- 
flower for the season should be about the 2Qth. Cardooii& 
may be sown from the middle to the end of the month- 
Sow pumpkins and cucumbers on a warm border in the 
last week. Continue the various operations of hoeing and 
earthing-up the different crops. 

Fruit-Trees. — Disbud peaches, nectarines, and other 
early trees against the walls ; also attend to the thinning 
of fruit. Give occasional washings with the engine to 
beep down insects. A little brown or Scotch snuff dusted 
over the trees after watering will effectually destroy green- 
fly. Pick caterpillars from gooseberries and wall-trees, on 
their first appearance. Mulchy if not done before, all 



CALENDAR MAY. 387 

newly-planted fruit-trees, watering abundantly in dry wea- 
ther. Remove from raspberries and strawberries all suck- 
ers and runners that are not wanted. . 

Forcing. — Attend to the cultivation of the melon and 
cucumber frames, regulating the air, heat, moisture, and 
shade, according to the state of the plants ; keeping them 
free from insects; thinning and training the vines; also 
renewing the dung-linings when necessary. Continue the 
planting of fresh beds, raising more young plants from 
seeds and cuttings for late crops ; the cuttings producing 
less luxuriant but more fruitful plants. Go on with the 
usual culture of the pinery ; give abundance of heat and 
water, and try to keep down all sorts of insects. The 
grape-vines and peach-trees will require attention, accord- 
ing to the progress they have made, in regulating the young 
shoots, thinning the fruit, and tying up the shoulders of 
such clusters of grapes as hang loosely, or are of a large 
size. Give frequent washings with the engine to the 
foliage, and a good supply of water to the borders ; also 
abundance of air. Plant out basil. Plant pumpkins and 
pickling cucumbers, under hand-glasses, on dung ridges, or 
in those frames that have been used for early vegetables, 
most of which will be cleared off by the third or last 
•week. 

Green-house^ Sfc. — Turn out hardy plants about the 
middle, and the more tender at the latter end, of the 
month ; retaining a part of the finest and most showy 
plants for the decoration of the green-house during the 
summer and autumn, when the regular inmates are chiefly 
placed abroad in the garden. Sow tender annuals for suc- 
cession, potting and shifting those sown at an earlier pe- 
riod, and removing them from the frames to the green-house 
or the conservatory as they come into flower. Continue to 



388 CALENDAR MAY. 

propagate, by cuttings, the different kinds of plants that 
are now fit for that purpose, potting off such as are rooted. 
Remove stage auriculas to their summer quarters, in some 
shady place with a north exposure. The alpine frame will 
require little more than a good supply of water, with occa- 
sional shiftings, and propagating a few of the early flower- 
ing plants. Sow some hardy annuals and ten-weeks stalks 
for late flowering. Species of Petunia, Tweedia, Tropaeo- 
lum, and Anagallis ; with Maurandia, Rhodochiton, and 
Lophospermum, may be planted as climbers against trel- 
lises or walls. 

Flower Garden. — Sow annuals for succession ; biennials 
in the last week, in the nursery compartment, for planting 
out next year. Propagate by cuttings, dahlias, pansies, 
double wall-flowers, rockets, scarlet lychnis, and lobelias, 
by dividing the roots. Plant out, during the first week, 
dahlias, hardy pelargoniums, stocks, calceolarias, and half- 
hardy annuals, protecting them from slight frosts. By the 
middle and end of the month, masses of such plants as the 
following may be formed with safety : Pelargonium, various 
species and varieties, Heliotropium, Fuchsia, Salpiglossis, 
Nierembergia, Salvia, Verbena, Bouvardia, Erica, Lobelia. 
Protect tulips, ranunculuses, and anemones from the mid- 
day sun, from rain, and winds. Remove the coverings 
from all tender plants in the open air ; tying up plants 
when necessary ; clearing the walks, borders, and cutting 
the grass every ten days ; for much of the beauty of a 
flower garden is lost if attention be not given to these ope- 
rations. 

Shrubbery. — Planting out of tender evergreens from 
pots may be continued, but any other kind of transplant- 
ing will be carried on at considerable risk, except in very 
moist and cloudy weather. Proceed with the laying down 



CALENDAR JUNE. 389 

of lawns and gravel-walks, keeping the grass short, and the 
borders and walks free from weeds. 



JUNE. 

Kitchen Garden. — Sow peas and beans for late crops. 
The kinds used for early crops are likewise best for this 
purpose. Sow salading every ten days ; also carrots and 
onions for drawing young. In the beginning of the month, 
sow endive for an early crop. In the first week, sow car- 
doons and turnips for succession ; and, in the third week, 
for a full autumn crop. Sow scarlet and white runners for 
a late crop ; and, in the middle of the month, early cab- 
bages, to be used as coleworts. 

Plant full crops of broccoli, Brussels sprouts, savoys, 
German greens, and leeks ; ridge out early celery, and suc- 
cessional crops of cabbage and cauliflower. In the first 
fortnight of the month, put out cucumber plants, in a warm 
border, placing hand-glasses over them ; these will afford 
small cucumbers for pickling. Draw and store winter 
onions. 

Fruit Trees. — Attend particularly to the training and 
pruning of the summer shoots of all descriptions of wall 
and trellis trees. Standards do not require this, except 
those that are trained en pyramide or en qucnouille. Mulch 
and water fruit-trees and strawberries in dry weather, de- 
sisting from watering as soon as the fruit begins to ripen. 
Net over cherry-trees, to protect the fruit from birds. De- 
stroy insects by frequent washings and directing tobacco- 
smoke against them, or by strewing snuff (the fine powder 
of tobacco) over them. In the first week, plant out love- 
apples in vacant spaces along the bottom of a south wall. 

Forcing. — Proceed with planting melons and cucumbers 



390 CALENDAR JUNE. 

raised from seeds and cuttings, for late crops. Keep up, 
by linings, the necessary temperature for ripening of the 
fruit. Continue the cultivation of the pinery stated for 
last month ; but, if you wish very large-sized fruit, and do 
not care about preserving suckers, remove the whole suck- 
ers from the stems and roots, and apply heat and water in 
abundance. Shift suckers and succession-plants in the be- 
ginning and middle of the month, as the state of the plants 
may require. 

Vines and Peaches, SfC, may have the same treatment 
as stated last month. Little water and a good deal of air 
must be given to those houses where the fruit is beginning 
to ripen. Those in which the fruit is past ought to be con- 
stantly under a system of thorough ventilation. 

The Green-house will now be occupied with tender 
green-house plants and annuals, and the more hardy plants 
from the stove, for here these last will remain longer in 
flower. Shift, repot, and propagate all fine plants, peren- 
nials, biennials, or annuals, and cuttings of all sorts that 
are desirable. Sow fragrant or showy annuals, to flower 
in pots during winter. 

Flower Garden. — Take up - bulbs and tuberous roots, 
and dry them in the shade before you remove them to the 
store-room. Fill up with annuals and green-house plants 
those beds from which the bulbs and roots have been raised. 
After this season, keep always a reserve of annuals in pots, 
or planted on beds or thin layers of well-rotted hotbed 
dung, from which they are easily removed with balls, to fill 
up any blanks which may occur in the borders or parterre. 
Sow perennials, if neglected last month, to be planted out 
in spring. Lay and pipe carnations and pinks in the end 
of the month. Pay particular attention to the staking and 
tying up of every plant that requires it, especially young 



CALENDAR— JULY. ' 391 

dahlias, as they are easily destroyed by higli winds ; in dry 
weather water abundantly, as many plants are much im- 
proved by it, especially dahlias. Attend to the dressing 
and cleaning of borders and walks, and the mowing of grass 
lawns. 

JULY. 

Kitchen, Garden. — Sow peas weekly till after the mid- 
'dle of the month, when the last erop for the season may be 
put in. In the last week, sow yellow turnip for a full 
winter erop, and spinach for an early winter crop ; endive, 
for autumn and winter crops, in the beginning and end of 
the month ; also successional crops of lettuce and small 
salads. Early cabbages for coleworts should be sown in 
the first week. 

Plant full crops of celery and celeriae about the middle 
and end of the month; late erops of broccoli, cauliflower, 
and coleworts, in the last week. Gather and dry medical 
and pot herbs ; also propagate such by slips and cuttings. 

Fruit-Trees. — Continue the summer pruning and train- 
ing of all wall and espalier-rail trees, with the destruction 
of insects. All heavy or overabundant crops of fruit ought 
to be thinned, as otherwise not only are the size and quality 
of the fruit deteriorated, but the trees exhausted and in- 
jured. Plant strawberries in pots, for forcing next winter. 
Propagate different sorts of fine fruit-trees by budding on 
other trees, or on prepared stocks. 

Forcing. — Attend to the pruning of melons and cucum- 
bers, giving air and water, renewing linings, &c. Gro on 
with the usual cultivation of the pinery, but withhold 
water from the plants when the fruit begins to ripen. 
Have the old plants with suckers on them put into a brisk 
bottom-heat, giving proper supplies of water: this will 



392 CALENDAR— AUGUST. 

increase their size very niucbj and materially shorten the 
period of their coming into fruit. The forcing-houses ought 
to have the same treatment as stated for last month. 

In the Green-house^ little alteration will take place 
in the culture and management from that given for last 
month; necessary attention being paid to potting, shifting^ 
and putting in cuttings, and giving abundance of water to 
the potted plants, both in the house and out of doors. 

Flower- Garden and Shrubbery. — Take up the remain- 
der of tuberous roots, such as anemone and ranunculus ; 
finishing by the end of the first week ; fill up their places,, 
and any vacancies that may have occurred, with annuals- 
from the reserve ground. Propagate all the finer herba- 
ceous plants that have gone out of flower, by means of cut- 
tings and slips ; also select roses and American shrubs, by 
layering, budding, or cuttings. Go on with the laying, 
piping, and striking of carnations, pinks, pansies,^ and the 
different varieties of superennial plants, as Sweet- William, 
pink, catchfly, double rocket, and double wallflower, in 
hand-glasses, or in shaded situations. Attend to the 
staking and tying up of dahlias and strong herbaceous 
plants. Great attention must now bo paid to cleaning in 
every department, weeds springing up after every shower. 

AUGUST. 

In the Kitchen- Garden^ sow winter and spring spinach 
in the beginning and about the middle of the month ; 
parsely and winter onions, for a full crop in the first week ; 
cabbages, cauliflower, savoys, and German greens, about the 
middle of the month, for planting out in spring ; lettuce in 
the first and last week ; small salads occasionally ; black 
Spanish, red and white queen radish, for winter crops. 



CALENDAR AUGUST. 393 

Plant and earth up celery and endive. Plant stawberries. 
A few coleworts may still be put in. 

Fruit Garden. — Proceed in the training and regulation 
of summer shoots of all fruit-trees, as directed for the last 
three months. Attend to the thinning of the fruit where 
necessary. Mat up, in dry weather, gooseberry and cur- 
rant-bushes, to preserve the fruit till late in the autumn. 
Every exertion must now be used by the gardeners to pre- 
serve the ripening fruit on the walls from insects, and de- 
stroy wasp nests. 

Forcing. — The same routine of cultivation in hotbeds 
and pits may be proceeded in as stated for last month. 
Sow, and propagate by cuttings, in the beginning of the 
month, cucumbers, to be afterwards grown in hot-water 
pits, or in boxes in the front of the pine-stove, for a winter 
crop. In the pinery, most of the fruit will be cut by the 
middle of the month, when a general shifting of succession- 
plants should take place ; as also a potting of suckers ; 
but these will be strengthened by being allowed to remain 
on the old plant untill the end of this month. In the forcing- 
houses where the crops are past, part of the sashes may be 
removed so as to permit thorough ventilation. 

Green-house. — Attend to the propagation of all sorts of 
green-house plants by cuttings, and to the replacing in the 
green-house and stoves the more tender species, by the end 
of the month in ordinary seasons, but in wet weather in 
the second week. Sow half-hardy annuals, as Clarkia, 
Schizanthus, Coreopsis, &c., to flower during winter. Also 
begin to propagate the various species of the half-hardy 
green-house plants, noticed under February, for decorating 
the flower garden in the following summer. 

Flower Garden and Shrubbery. — Sow in the second and 

the last week, on a warm border of a light, sandy soil, with 

17* 



394 CALENDAR SEPTEMBER. 

an east aspect, for planting out in spring, Clarkia pulchella, 
pulchella alba, Gillia capitata, Collomia coccinea. Coreopsis 
tinctoria, CEnothera Lindleyana, roseo-alba, Romanzovii, 
Collinsia verna, grandiflora, bicolor, Eutoca viscida, Lepto- 
siphon densiflorus, Nemophila insignis, Escholtzia califor- 
nica, &c. Sow auricula and primula seeds in pots and 
boxes. Propagate all sorts of herbaceous plants by rooted 
slip ; lay chrysanthemums ; in the first week take off 
layers of carnations, pink, and pansies. Transplant ever- 
greens in moist weather, about the end of the month; and 
propagate them by layers and cutting. 



SEPTEMBER. 

Kitchen Garden. — Sow a few small salads for late crops ; 
lettuce, parsley, and spinach, if not done last month, for 
spring crops. Plant endive and lettuce. If broccoli be 
too strong or tall to withstand the winter, lift them and 
lay them nearly up to the neck in the earth. Lift onions, 
and lay them out to win on a dry border or gravel-walk. 
Lift potatoes and store them. 

Fruit Trees, Sfc. — Finish the summer pruning and 
training. Assist the maturing of the fruit, and, what is 
equally important, the ripening of the young wood for next 
year, of peaches and nectarines on hot walls, with fires dur- 
ing the day. Gather and lay up in the fruit-room with 
care the autumnal sorts of apples and pears. In the first 
•week, plant strawberries for a main crop next season. 

Forcing. — Take care that late crops of melons and 
cucumbers be not injured by damping, from getting too 
much water and too little air. In the pinery, the usual 
routine of cultivation may be carried on ; in the first week 
take off and pot all strong suckers, if not done in the 



CALENDAR. SEPTEMBER. 395 

middle of last month ; the remainder may be taken off at 
the end of the month, and planted in old tan in a frame or 
pit prepared for that purpose : in this way they will be 
found to keep much better over the winter, and to be better 
supplied with roots than if they had been potted, which 
ought never to be done after this season. Expel damp, 
and assist the ripening of late crops of grapes and peaches 
with fires during the day. Prune early grape-vines and 
peaches. 

Green-house^ Conservatory^ Sfc. — All repairs of paint- 
ing or glazing ought to be finished by the first week, as 
many plants will require to be taken into the houses by the 
20th of the month ; in ordinary seasons comparatively few 
green-house plants can be trusted in the open air after this 
period. Pelargoniums and half-hardy green-house plants 
may be kept in frames or in sheltered situations until the 
end of October. Pot hyacinths, polyanthus narcissus, and 
tulips for forcing. The same attention must be given to 
the propagation of half-hardy green-house plants (see Feb- 
ruary), as directed for last month. Remove stage auriculas 
to the winter frames about the middle of the month ; also 
tender alpine plants, keeping the glass-frame shut in wet 
weather. Early in this month replace in the stove all 
succulents that may have been kept in the green-house or 
in the open air during the summer months. 

Flower Garden, SfC. — Sow in the beginning of this 
month all half-hardy annuals stated for last month, if not 
done at that time. Sow also the different species of 
primula, and the seeds of all such plants, for, if sown in 
spring, they seldom come up the same season, but if sown 
in September or October, they vegetate readily in the suc- 
ceeding spring. Continue the propagation of herbaceous 
plants, taking off the layers of carnations, pinks, and pan- 



396 CALENDAR.—OCTOBEE. 

sies, and putting them into a nursery-bed for the winter. 
Pot chrysanthemum layers by the end of the month. Keep 
all dahlias and tall herbaceous plants properly staked and 
tied up, as they are very liable to be broken by high winds 
at this season. The same attention must be given to the 
cleaning and dressing of this department as directed for 
the former months. Plant evergreens ; make layers, and 
put in cuttings of most of the hard-wooded sorts of 
shrubby plants, about the middle and end of the month, as 
many will succeed better at that season than if these opera- 
tions were delayed to a later period. 

OCTOBER. 

Kitchen Garden. — Sow small salads and radishes in the 
first week ; Mazagan and Marshall's dwarf beans and early 
frame peas (Warwick variety) in the last week. If the 
winter prove mild, they will be somewhat earlier than those 
sown next month or in January. Prepare and make up 
mushroom-beds. 

Plant early cabbages in close rows for spring use. A bed 
of cauliflowers in the last week, to receive the protection 
of a three-light frame ; or, at any rate, plant cauliflower at 
the bottom of a high wall or hedge in a sheltered situation. 
Earth up celery and cardoons. 

Store potatoes, beet, salsify, scorzonera, skirret, carrots, 
parsnips, by the end of the month. 

Fruit Garden. — Such fruit trees as have dropped their 
leaves may be transplanted. Protect fig-trees, if the 
weather prove frosty, as soon as they have cast their leaves. 
Cover late crops of grapes on hot walls with woolen nets or 
mats, to prevent injury from frost. Store and lay up very 
carefully during the month all sorts of apples and pears, 



CALENDAR OCTOBER. 397 

the longest-keeping sorts not before the end of the month, 
if the weather be mild ; a part of them may be placed in 
a close cellar. 

Forcing. — Assist hotbeds and pits with fresh linings to 
keep up the declining heat of such as have not ripened 
their crops. Late vineries and peach-houses will still re- 
quire the application of fire-heat to ripen the wood ; for if 
this be not accomplished, the next crop will be inferior both 
in quantity and quality. Give abundance of air to the 
pinery in good weather, gradually lowering the heat. 
Prune and dress early vines and peaches ; clean and repair 
the forcing-houses and their flues ; continue the preparation 
and formation of mushroom-beds. 

Green-house. — Replace all sorts of green-house plants 
at an early period, as many of them are often much injured 
by cold rains and frosty mornings at this season. Fill the 
pits with pots of stocks, mignonette, and hardy annuals, 
for planting out in spring, along with many of the more 
hardy sorts of green-house plants. The whole ought to be 
thoroughly ventilated, except in frosty weather. Water 
sparingly. Begin to force roses, hyacinths, and a few other 
bulbs, for winter and early spring decoration. 

Flower Garden. — Sow a few sorts of hardy annuals in a 
frame, or on a sheltered border, for spring use, as directed 
for August. 

Plant the greater part of the common border bulbs 
about the end of the month, with a few anemones for early 
flowering. Transplant strong plants of biennials and per- 
ennials to their final situations. 

Protect alpine plants, stage auriculas and carnations, 
with glass frames ; half-hardy green-house plants, such as 
fuchsias, &c., about the end of the month, with coverings 
of broom or spruce-fir, preferring the latter. Take up, dry, 



398 CALENDAR NOVEMBER. 

and move dahlias and tigridia tubers in the end of the 
month ; pot lobelias from the open borders. 

Transplant all sorts of hardy evergreens and shrubs, no- 
ticing in dry soils to give abundance of water. Put in cut- 
tings of all sorts of evergreens. Attend to the removal 
of decayed plants, leaves, and rubbish from the walks and 
borders. 



NOVEMBER. 

Kitchen Garden. — Sow early frame peas, preferring the 
Warwick variety, and mazagan beans, in the second week, 
for an early crop. Protect endive, celery, artichoke, sea- 
kale, with stable-litter or ferns ; mulch asparagus with 
hotbed dung ; take up endive, late cauliflower, early broc- 
coli, and lettuces, and lay them in an open shed, or in old 
cucumber and melon-pits, which will protect them from 
frost, and afibrd a supply during winter. Force rhubarb 
and sea-kale in the open border, under boxes, or cases, sur- 
rounded and covered with well-fermented stable-litter. 

Fndt Garden. — Plant all sorts of fruit trees in fine 
weather, giving an abundant supply of water to settle the 
earth about the roots. Commence and carry on the various 
operations of pruning and nailing when the weather may 
permit. Take off such late sorts of apples and pears as 
may remain on the trees, and lay them carefully in the 
fruit-room ; which place will require frequent examination, 
and the removal of all decayed fruit. 

Forcing. — In hotbeds and pits keep up the requisite 
degree of heat by frequent additions to the linings. Cu- 
cumbers and pines, on hotbeds, will require more than or- 
dinary attention, to prevent them damping off from too 
much moisture. Where a circulation of hot water in pipes 



CALENDAR DECEMBER. 399 

is employed for heating, the necessary temperature and dry- 
ness are much more under the control of the gardener. 
Force asparagus, rhubarb, and sea-kale, in the mushroom- 
house or pits for a supply at Christmas. Attend to the 
forcing of mushrooms. In the forcing-houses, prune and 
train the trees ; dig and dress the borders of those houses 
in which this operation has not already been done. The 
forcing of vines is sometimes commenced at this season ; 
but the progress must be very slow at first : the crops re- 
sulting from such early forcing are generally inferior in 
quantity. 

Green Houses^ &fc. — All hardy green-house plants must 
now be properly protected, by being replaced in the green- 
house or in pits. Give abundance of air in fresh weather, 
only applying heat to keep out the frost during the night, 
or to expel the damp, with the assistance of air through 
the day : remove all decayed or injured leaves, watering 
only such plants as require it ; the plants in the alpine and 
auricula frames ought still to have plenty of air, but very 
little water. Commence the forcing of rhododendrons, 
kalmias, roses, hyacinths and tulips, in the stove or in pits. 
Flower Garden^ Sfc. — Plant dried tubers of border flowers, 
but the finer sorts had better be deferred till spring. Pro- 
tect such half-hardy plants as were not sheltered last 
month. Plant deciduous trees and shrubs as long as the 
weather continues favorable. Big and dress such flower- 
borders and shrubberies as may now be cleared of annuals 
and the stems of herbaceous plants. 

DECEMBER. 

Kitchen and Flower Garden. — About Christmas, sow 
a few of the same sorts of peas and beans as iu November. 



400 SELECT LIST OF FRUITS. 

Very few operations can be carried on during this month, 
with the exception of trenching and digging in dry weather ; 
but this ought not to be neglected. 

Plant all sorts of fruit trees in mild weather. Proceed 
with pruning and nailing wall trees, whenever an opportu- 
nity occurs. Examine the fruit-room every week, re- 
moving the fruit found in a state of decay. 

Forcing^ SfC. — Go on with the usual culture of those 
houses which have been commenced, or are now put into 
operation, attending to the necessary degrees of heat, &c. ; 
the same attention to hotbeds and bits will be necessary, 
as in the last month. Continue the forcing of asparagus, 
rhubarb, sea-kale, and mushrooms, in pits, or in the mush- 
room-house. 

Green-house^ SfC. — The directions for last month will 
be found equally applicable for this. 

Flower Garden^ SfC. — The directions for last month will 
also be found equally applicable to this. E-ake and sweep 
leaves from lawns and gravel-walks, repairing the latter as 
occasion may require. 



SELECT LIST OF FRUITS 





APPLES. 




EARLY. 


Early Harvest, 


Early Strawberry, 


Large Yellow Bough, (Sweet), Red Astraclian. 




AUTUMN. 


Fall Pippin, 


Autumn Strawberry, 


Gravenstein, 


Jersey Sweet, 


Hawley, 


Porter. 



SELECT LIST OF FRUITS. 



401 



Baldwin, 
Belmont, 
Ladies' Sweet, 



Ananas D'Etae, 

Bloodgood, 

Bartlett, 

Flemish Beauty, 
Louise Bon d' Jersey, 
Onondaga, or Swan Orange, 
Belle Lucrative, 
Doyenne Boussock, 

Lawrence, 
Easter Beurre, 



Green Gage, 
Jefferson, 
Early Orleans, 



Early Purple Guigne, 
Bauman's May, 
Black Tartarian, 
Black Eagle, 



Large Early, 
Early Violet, 



Early York, 
George 4 th, 
Morris White, 
Cooledge's Favorite, 



WINTKR. 

Rhode Island Greening, 
Esopus Spitsenburgh, 
Koxbury Russett. 

PEARS. 

EARLY. 

Madeleine, 

Tyson, 

Canandaigua. 

AtJTTJMN. 

Seekel, 

White Doyenne, in some localities, 

Duchess de Angouleme, 
Beurre Bosc, 
Beurre Diel. 

"WINTER. 

Winter Nellis, 
Vicar of Winkfield. 

PLUMS. 

Smith's Orleans, 
Washington, 
Coe's Golden Drop. 

CHERRIES. 

Bigareau of Yellow Spanish, 
Governor Wood, 
Downer's late Red, 
Belle Magnifique. 

APRICOTS. 

Moorpark and Dubois Early Golden. 

NECTARINES. 

Downton. 

PEACHES. 

Bergen's Yellow, 
Crawford's Early, 
" Late, 
Heath Cling, 



402 SELECT LIST OF FRUITS. 

GRAPES. 

Tinder Glass. 
Black Hamburgh, Black Prince, 

White Frontignan, "White Muscat of Alexandria. 

Open Air. 
Isabella, Catawba, Diana. 

RASPBERRIES. 
Red and Yellow Antwerp, Kuevett's Grant, 

Fastoff, Franeonia. 

BLACKBERRIES. 

Lawton, or Now Rochelle. 

STRAWBERRIES. 
Large Early Scarlet, Longworth's Prolific, 

Hovey's Seedling, M'Avoy's Superior, 

Burr's New Pine, Monroe Scarlet, 

Jenney's Seedling, "M'Avoy's Extra Red for Market. 

CURRANTS. 
Red and White Dutch, Cherry, 

Black Naples, White Grapcu 

GOOSEBERRIES. 
Woodward's Whitesmith, Crown Bob, 

Crompton's Sheba Queen, Houghton's Seedling. 



INDEX. 



^thusa 216 

Air-plants (orchidacece) - - 294 

great variety - - - ib. 

culture - - - - 295 
Airing of hot-houses - - 317 
Alderstone melon-pit - - 364 
Almond- tree, culture of the - 106 
Alpine or rock plants - - 237 
American blight - - - 138 

ground - - - - 239 

plants for the - - - 240 
Anemone - - - - 267 

culture of the - - - 269 

properties of a fine one - ib. 

soil and culture - - 269 
Angelica - - - - 229 
Annual plants . - . 256 

hardy - - - - 257 

half 'hardy - - - ib. 

tender - - - - 258 
Annuals recommended - - 265 
Aphis, American - - - 138 

wash for - - - 111 

Apples, select varieties - - 400 

Apples and pears, modes of 

storing - - . 

Apples, best for cider - 136, 

best kinds in the TJ. S. 

best stocks for grafting 
upon - - - - 

great age attained by trees 

Paradise, Doucin, and crab 
stocks - - - - 

remedy against the blight 
Apple-tree, culture of the 
Apricots, kinds of, to be pre- 
ferred - - 112, 113 
Apricot-tree, on the manage- 
ment of the - 
Asparagus, culture of 

forcing of - - 
Atkinson's melon-pit 
Auricula, classes of 

composts for - 

propagation of 
Balm - - - - 
Bark stove - - . 

plants - - - 
Barberry - _ - 
Barbe de Capuchin 
Barrenness of fruit-trees, how 
prevented - 



138 
137 
139 

136 
141 

136 

138 
136 



113 
206 
208 
363 
274 
274 
275 
230 
285 
294 
167 
215 

48 



Beans, best varieties for the U. S. 177 
Beet, red, culture of, - - 190 
sea-kale - - - 190, 191 
white - - - - ib. 
Bergamot pears - - - 126 
Beurre brown - •> - 127 
d'Aremberg - - - 128 
Diel and Ranee - - 130 
Biennial plants - - _ 256 
Biennials, ornamental, recom- 
mended - - - ib. 
Blackberry - - - - 153 
Blossoms, protecting of, in fruit- 
trees, - - - 48 

Borage 228 

Borecole, kinds, Ac., - - 170 

Broccoli, culture of - - - 173 

Brussels sprouts - - - 169 
Buchanan on the grape culture 

recommended - - 79 

Budding, propagation by - 49 

Bulbous, vernal plants - - 254 

BuUace - - - - 167 

Burnet 230 

Bush basil - - - - 231 

Cabbage, kinds and culture 167, 168 

Calendar, monthly - - - 377 

Camellias, cultivation of - 290 

Canteloupes - - - - 222 

Cape heaths, or ericae - - 29 1 

Capsicum or chilly - - - 229 

Caraway - _ _ _ 230 

Carnation - _ - - 276 

propagation of - - 277 

varieties and culture of - ib. 

Carnations, cultivation of - ib. 

Carrots, kinds and culture - 188 

Cashaw - . . _ 224 

Catawba grape - - - 71 

mammoth - - 73 

white - - - ' ib. 

Ca.uliflower, culture of - - 171 

Celery, culture of - - - 217 

Celeriac, culture of - - 217 

Chamomile - - - - 230 

Cherries, kinds of - - - 119 

geans, or guignes, what - 121 

Guignier, Merisier, and Bi- 

garotier, what - - ib. 
stocks preferred for graft- 
ing on - - - i6. 



404 



INDEX. 



riders or high-stemmed 
trees - - - - 

Marasca, Morello, Maha- 
leb, and Mazzard 

how classified by the French 

best kinds in the U. S. 

forcing the fruit 
Cherry-house, management of 
Cherry-tree, pruning and train- 
ing- 
Chervil - . . . 
Chestnut-treo - - - 
Chicory . . . _ 

Chive 

Chrysanthemum sinense, culti- 
vation of - - - 
Ciboule - . _ . 

Cigar-box grape - - - 
Cions, importance of their being 
taken from healthy wood 

in shy-bearing trees sliould 
be taken from the most 
fruitful branches - 

mode of preserving - 

preparing of, for grafting - 
Citron des Carraes, pear 
Citron, or cedrate - - - 

Clary 

Climbing shrubs, recommended 
Clingstone peaches - - - 

nectarines - - _ 
Cloudberry - - - - 
Coffee chickory - - . 
Colmar and Passe Colmar, fine 
pears - - - - 
Colworts - - - . 

Conservatory, general structure 

plants - - - - 
Corbett's hot-water system an- 
ticipated - . - 
Coriander - - - - 
Corn salad - - - - 
Costmary - - - . 
Couper's large red plum 
Cranberries, culture of - 
Crasanne pear _ . _ 
Cress, garden, raising of 

water - - - - 
Crocus - - _ 
Cucumbers, forcing of - 369, 

kinds and culture of 225, 

West's forcing pit 

varieties of - - - 

raised for pickling - 
Currants, red and white 

black - - ^ - 
Curvilinear roofs - - - 
Cuttings, propagation by 



121 

122 

ib. 
123 
336 

ib. 

121 
22S 
146 
214 
200 

280 

195 

73 

45 



46 

ib. 

lb. 

124 

338 

230 

247 

95 

ib. 

167 

216 

129 
169 
283 
290 

315 
230 
205 
230 
116 
163 
128 
219 

ib. 
271 
370 
370 
363 
370 

ib. 
148 

ib. 
321 

43 



Dahlia, or Georgina, history of 271 

culture of - - - 273 

new varieties, how procured 272 

properties of a fine one - ib. 

varieties of, how classed - ib. 

Damson plums - - - 117 

Diana grape - - - - 74 

Dill 229 

Doyenne pear - - _ 126 

Dwarf wall-trees - - - 52 

Easter bcurre pear - - 129 

Edgings for flower-borders - 242 

Eggplant - - - - 226 

Elder 167 

Elsenburg grape - - - 73 

Endive, culture of - - - 214 

Epiphytes, cultivation of - 295 

Ericas, cultivation of - - 289 
Espalier-rails - - 30, 52 

trees, training - - 53 

Everlasting potato - - 179 

Fan-training of fruit-trees - 60 

Fences of garden - - - 26 

Fennel and Finochio - - 229 

Fettitus - - - - 205 
Fig-house, general management 

of the - - - 337 
Figs, kinds and culture - 90, 91 

Filbert 145 

Florists' Flowers, what - - 259 

Flower-beds, shapes of - - 236 
Flower-garden, principles and 

national styles of - 231, 232 



situation and form of 
soil for - 
two British styles 
Flower garden walks 
Flowering plants, how to be ar- 
ranged to produce the 
best eifect - - - 
Flues, construction of - - 
Forcing department 
Freestone peaches - - - 
Frontignac grapes 
Fruit-garden, general manage- 
ment of - - - 
Fruit, protection of - - 
Fruit, select varieties of - 
Fruit-trees, influence of the stock 
upon the graft, with 
modes of obviating 
mode of procuring uncon- 
taminated seedlings of 
best varieties 
limitation of existence in 
choice kinds 



231 
239 
234 
241 



250 

299 

298 

94 

64 

37 

62 

400 



38 



ib. 
39 



INDEX. 



405 



Fruit-trees, Mr. Knight's experi- 
ments for producing im- 
proved and hardy varieties 40 

means of accelerating the 
bearing of, and vines - 42 

propagation by cuttings 
and layers - - - 43 

propagation by grafting 
with different kinds of 
stocks to suit various 
sorts of fruit - - 44 

modes of improving their 
fruitfulness by ringing, 
root-pruning, &c. - - 61 

mode of double working 
pear-trees - - - 131 
Fuchsia - - - - 247 

Furnaces, plans of - - - 300 

Gansel's bergamot pear - - 127 
Garden, proper size, situation, &c. 22 
enclosure-walls - - 26 
soil, manures, &c. - 31-33 
internal arrangement - 34 
cress - . . . 218 
patience - - - - 205 
Gardens, winter and summer - 238 
Garlic, culture of - - - 200 
Girkins for pickling - - 371 
Gladioli, or corn flags - - 271 
Glazed houses . _ . 282 
Gooseberries, kinds and culture of 149 
Gourds, cultivation of - - 371 
Gowan's mode of grafting grape- 
vines - - - - 81 
Grafting, propagation by - 44 
by approach - - - 47 
of grape-vines - - 81 
Grapes in flower-pots - - 68 
for wine - - - - 7b 
on walls - - - - 68 
varieties and culture - 63 
best selection for an ordi- 
nary vinery - - 67 
kinds commonly grown 
against the open wall in 
England and Scotland - 68 
t he celebrated Hampton 

Court vine - - - 69 

great age attained by vines ib. 
ill success in culture of 

foreign grapes in the U. S. ib. 
Dr. Underbill's observa- 
tions on the grape culture 

in the U.S. - - ib. 
Mr. Wilson's plan of pro- 
tecting foreign grapes in 

winter - - - 70 



Grapes, great success of grape 

culture in Cincinnati - 71 
the Isabella, Catawba, and 
other best native Ameri- 
can grapes, described - 72 
best foreign grapes for un- 
der-glass culture in U. S. 74 
Mr. Longworth's observa- 
tions - - - - 75 
Mr. Buchanan's treatise 

upon - - - - 79 
propagation of the vines - ib. 
grafting grape vines - 80 
single-eye mode of propa- 
gation - - - - 81 
planting out - - - 82 
pruning - - - - 84 
proper soil and manures - ib, 
management under glass - 85 
fall and winter trimming - 86 
bearing capacities, how es- 
timated - - - 87 
routine of grape-house cul- 
ture without fire-heat - 88 
forcing grapes ripe at all 
seasons - - . 325 
Grasses for lawns - - - 22 
Gravel for garden walks - 341 
Green-gage plum - - - 115 
Green-house, structure of - 282 
plants recommended - 299 
Guigne-trees - . _ 121 

Hampton Court vine, astonish- 
ing productiveness of - 69 
Hazel-bush, culture of - - 144 
Heath-house - - - - 284 
Heaths, hardy, list of - - 290 
Heating by hot water - - 307 
Heating of glazed houses by 

steam - - - - 302 
Herbaceous ornamental plants 

recommended - - 249 

vernal, sumftier, - 353, 254 

autumnal _ . - 255 
Herbaceous perennial plants, 

how propagated - - 256 
Herbs, sweet, list of - - 230 
Horizontal training of wall- 
trees, Hitt, &c. - - 56 
Horse-radish, culture of - - 229 
Horticultural Societies, notices of 18 

Hops 200 

Hotbeds — Hotbed frames - 362 

Hot-houses, their principal objects 298 

flues and furnaces for - 299 

method of applying surface 

und bottom heat - - 306 



406 



INDEX. 



Hot-houses, warming with hot 
water, and principles of 

the apparatus - - 307 
common tank boiler and 

furnace . - - 308 
Mr. Rogers' boiler de- 
scribed and delineated - 309 
hot-water apparatus for a 

vinery . _ . 312 
siphon principle applied '• 313 
Perkin's hermetically seal- 
ed tubes - . - 314 
Corbett's mode of heating 315 
Handle's method by tanks ib. 
sun's rays, efficiency of - 316 
fermentable substances used 

to create bottom-heat - ib. 
necessity of the skillful man- 
agement of artificial heat 317 
admission of air to be well 

regulated - - - 317 
admission of light - - 319 
proper pitch of roofs - 320 
Curvilinear roofs proposed 321 
foreign plants frequently in- 
troduced into fruit-houses 335 
Hyacinth, cultivation of - - 260 
marks of a fine one - - 274 
exorbitant prices of, in Hol- 
land - - - - 262 
Dutch compost for raising 260 
culture, forcing 260, 261, 262 
new varieties, how produced 263 
Hyssop 230 

Inarching - - - 42 

Indian cress, tuberous - - 194 

Insects, destroying of - - 101 

Iris, varieties of, and cultivation 268 
Persian and snake's head 

species - - - ib. 

Isabella grapes - - - 71 

Jargonelle pear - - - 124 

Jasmine . - - - 244 

Jerusalem artichoke - - 186 

Kale, culture of - - - 170 

Kentish cherry - - - 120 
Knight's theoi-y regarding the 

age of fruits - - 48 

new pears - - - 130 

Kohl-rube, culture of - - 170 

Lambs' lettuce . . - 205 
Lawns, grasses for - - 22, 23 

Lavender . . . . 236 

Layers, propagation by - - 43 



Leeks, culture of - - - 199 

Lemon 338 

Lettuce, kinds and culture - 213 
Light, necessity of, in glazed 

houses - - . 317 

Lilies, cultivation of - - 270 

Lima beans - - - - 177 

Lime, sweet - - - 338 

Lobelia, kind for flower-garden 279 

Longueville pear - - - 125 

Ohio grape - - - 73 

Longworth on the grape culture 72 

Love-apple - - - - 227 



Mahaleb cherry 


- 121 


Manures for gardens 


- 33 


Marie-Louise pear - 


- 128 


Merigold 


- 234 


Mayduke cherry - 


- 119 



Medlar-tree, culture of - - 142 

Melonry, for forcing melons - 362 

Melon pit, Alderston's - - 364 

West's and Atkinson's - 363 

Melons, kind and culture - 222 

forcing of - - - 364 

different kinds - - 365 

proper heat required for - 366 

Mildew and insects, to destroy 

on fruit trees - - 1 1 1 

Missouri grape - - - 73 

Montreuil peach-training - 106 

Moorpark apricot - - - 113 

Morello cherry - - . 120 

Mould and soils for green-houses 285 

Mulberry-tree, culture of - 143 

Mulching, great advantage of 51 

Muscat grapes - - - 65 

Mushrooms, culture of - - 372 

Mustard, culture of - - 218 

Narcissus, genus, cultivation of 268 
Nasturtium - - - - 195 
Nectarines, best kinds for U. S. 103 
kinds and culture - - 101 
mode of producing new va- 
rieties - - - 103 
protection against insects - 111 
varieties and culture - 101 
Netted citron - - - 223 
New Zealand spinach - - 204 
Noblesse peach - - - 96 
Norton's grape - - 74 
Nutmeg canteloupe - - 223 

Okra - - - - 227 

Oldacre's mushroom-bed - 372 

Onions, kind and culture - - 195 

Oracho 205 



INDEX. 



407 



Orangery, general management 339 

Orange, bitter - - - ib. 

citron or cedrate - - 338 

propagating and budding 340 

sweet - - - - 339 

tribe - - - - 338 

Orchard, site, culture, &c. - 36 

Orchidaceaj _ - - - 295 

tropical - - - - ib. 

Oxalis roots, culture of - - 193 

Oyster plant - - - - 191 

Parsnips, culture of - - 189 
Parsley, culture of - - - 216 
Patience, garden - - - 205 
Peaches,'bestin theU. S. 99,100 
enemies of the peach tree, 

and remedies against - 100 
English and French modes 

of training the tree - 105 
modes of cultivating in U. S. 106 
mode of obtaining new va- 
rieties - - - - 98 
modes of protecting the 

blossoms in England - 111 

plans of pruning for fruit 103 

varieties and subvarieties 9(j, 97 

when trees are to be triminod 1 1 1 

Peach-house, structure ar.d 

management of - 331, 332 
Pears, best kinds of fruit in U. S. 134 
fine kinds - - - 124 
grafting of the tree - - 131 
influence of the parent stock 
• upon the fruit - - 132 
kitchen sorts - - - 131 
autumnal and winter sorts 130 
Mr. Knight's varieties - 133 
summer management of 
trees - - - - 134 
Pear tree, management of - 131 
Pears and apples, modes of storing 1 38 
Pearl onion - - - - 197 
Peas, kinds and culture - - 175 
Peat-soil for flower-garden - 239 
Peat, when only partially decom- 
posed, prejudicial to plants 240 
Pelargoniums ... 289 

Pennyroyal - - - - 230 
Pepper grass - - - - 220 
Peppermint - - - - 230 
Perennials, tall ornamental - 250 
Peruvian rice ... 205 

Pimpernell - - - - 230 
Pine-apples, kinds of - 341, 342 
pits and culture - - 343 
Pinks, cultivation of - - 278 
Plant-stovcj structurs of - - 285 



Plant-stove, inmates of - - 285 

Planting of fruit-trees - - 50 

Plants requiring a peaty soil - 240 

shrubby, for edgings - 242 
such as arc to be wintered 

under glass - - - 250 

Plums, kinds and culture - 115 

Plum-tree, best kinds in U. S. - 118 
destruction of fruit by the 
curcuilo, how counteracted 1 1 B 

Polyanthus, cultivation of - 276 
Pond, how to make it impervious 

to water - - - 238 
Pond's seedling grape - - 74 
Potato onion - - - - 197 
Potato, sweet - - - - 184 
Potatoes, kinds and culture - 179 
forcing of - - - 182 
varieties best known in U. S. 182 
Powell grape, - - - 72 
Primula, cultivation of - - 276 
Propagation of plants in green- 
houses . . _ 287 
Pruning - . - ^ 53 
Prussian grass - - - 209 
Pumpkin - - - - 224 
Purslane - - - - 228 
Pyraraide training - - 54 

Quenouille training - - 55 

Quince-tree, culture of - - 141 

Quinoa spinach, culture of - 204 

Radish, culture of - - - 192 

Ranunculus, cultivation of - 265 

properties of a fine one - ib. 

proper soil for the beds - 266 

propagation of - - 267 

Raspberries, kind and culture of 151 

Rendle's tank heating - - 315 

Rhododendrons - . . 245 

Rhubarb, kinds and culture - 220 

Rider wall-trees - - - 52 

Rocambole - - . . 200 

Rock-work - - - - 237 

plants recommended for 

decorating the - - ib. 

Rogers' conical k)iler - - 309 

Root-grafting - - . 44 

Rosary, management of the - 248 

Rosemary - _ _ . 230 

Sage— Salad herbs - - 230 

Salsify 191 

Savory, winter - - 230 

Savoy greens, culture of - - 169 

Scallions, mode of producing - 195 

Scariolea .... 214 



458 



mDEX. 



Scorzonera, culture of - - 191 

Scuppernong grape - - 73 
Sea-kale, culture and forcing of, 

in open borders - - 210 

Seed, mode of raising fruits from 38 

Seedling fruits, raising of - 42 

Service-tree, culture of - - 143 

Shaddock-fruit, culture of - 339 

Shallot, culture of - - - 199 

Shelter, necessity and means of 24 

Shrubs, deciduous - - - 246 

evergreens - - . 244 

in planting out, how to be 

disposed - - - 249 

ornamental, recommended 243 

propagation of - - 249 
Situation for fruit-garden, &c., 

selection of - - - 22 

of flower garden - - 234 
Siphon employed in circulating 

hot water - - - 313 

Skirret, culture of - - - 191 

Sloe 167 

Soil, best for kitchen garden - 31 

for flower garden - - 239 

Sorrel, common and French - 228 

Spearmint - - . - 230 

Spinach, culture of - - 203 

wild - - - - 205 

Squash 224 

Standard fruit-trees, training of 53 
Steam, use of, for heating glazed 

houses - - - 302 
Stocks of fruit-trees, influence of, 

upon the graft - - 38 

Paradise, Doucin, BuUace, 

Mahaleb - - - 45 

for fruit-trees - - - 53 

Stove plants - - - - 292 

compost for - - - 293 
Strawberry, male and female 

how distinguished - 161 

bank - - - - 158 
Strawberries, kinds and culture 

of - - - - 155 

forcing of - - - 159 

Succory, culture of - - - 215 

Summer savory - - - 231 

Sweet basil - - - - ib. 



Sweet herbs - * . 


- 230 


marjoran 


- 231 


Syrian grape 


- 67 


Tanks, heating by means of 


- 315 


Tetragonia, culture of - 


- 204 


Training of fruit-trees - 


- 53 


Trenching, advantages ot 


- 32 


Tulips, cultivation of 


- 262 


Turnips, kinds and culture 


- 186 


Turnip-rooted cabbage - 


- 170 



Vegetable marrow - - - 225 
Verdelho grape - - - 66 
Vernal plants - - - 253 
Vinery, forcing in the early 
vinery, when to be com- 
menced and proper de- 
grees of heat - - 331 
structure of the - - 325 
training of vines in the - 329 
Vines, grape, sorts cultivated - 64 
Vine, famous one at Hampton 

Court - - - - 69 

great age of one - - 69 

sorts adapted to the U. S. 69 

protection of, in winter - 70 

propagation of - - 79 

Violets, sweet - - - 279 

Walks, garden, forming of - 241 

Walls, inclosure - - - 26 

hot .... 30 
Wall-borders- - - - 35 
Wall-trees, training of - - 55 
Walnut-tree, general manage- 
ment of the - - - 146 
Washington plum - - - 116 
Water, necessity of a supply of 24 

hot, for heating glazed 

houses . . _ 307 

melon - - - - 222 

Welsh onion - - - - 199 

West's melon pit - - - 363 

Winter garden - . . 225 

squash - - - ' ib. 

Witty s furnace - - - 301 

Zante, or Corinth grape - - 66 



THE END. 




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